A Complicated Dance
by avatarfan82
Summary: [Future/Modern AU] Katara feels most at home when she's dancing. Music has always been a huge part of Zuko's life. Their feelings blossom after working together but nothing is ever simple. They'll find out just how complicated things become in their personal and professional lives.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello all! This is my foray into ATLA fanfiction so I am very excited. It's also my first time working with characters in an AU and I'm having fun so far!**

**As always, these characters don't belong to me. If I ruled the world, Katara and Zuko would have been an actual thing. I love Aang...he's the best, don't get me wrong. But, Zuko and Katara had a ton of effortless chemistry going on. Plus, he literally saved her life! Like, Bruno Mars, 'Grenade' style! I mean, come on, man! **

**Okay, I'm done ranting now.**

**To be clear, this is an AU so there is no bending. They are pretty much living in the world that we know. Alrighty...enjoy and review if you wish!**

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><p>Katara curled slowly downward, with one leg perfectly vertical in the air. She made sure to point the toe of her elevated foot to get the ideal stretch and reached her hands to grasp the ankle of her planted leg. She distantly heard barely audible intakes of breath around her, but ignored them and continued her stretching routine.<p>

She was easily one of the most flexible dancers in the company and had gotten used to some of the newer members gawking at her poses as she warmed up. Suddenly, she heard a playful whisper from her right side.

"Show off."

A slight smile appeared on her lips as she lowered her leg and stood upright. Her ocean blue eyes locked with clear gray ones and they smiled at each other.

"Don't be jealous," she replied and the young man chuckled.

When it came to her craft, Katara was often serious and focused, but he was happy to get a rare playful moment with her. Then he held out a hand to her.

"Let's go over that middle section again. I want to work on the lift one more time."

Katara nodded, accepting his hand and immediately getting into the pose preceding the lift. Her partner firmly wrapped his arm around her waist and gave a soft 4 count. Then, the two began to sway in unison, forward and backward. He twirled Katara counter-clockwise and then switched his hold from around her waist to her hip.

Katara tilted her body until she was completely horizontal and landed in his strong grasp. A quick spin then transitioned into the hold, with Katara being lifted high in the air, her hip resting on her partner's shoulders and behind his head.

The dizzying spin continued a few more times before Katara dove downward into a front flip. She was instantly caught in mid-air and he clutched her waist, guiding her gently to the floor. They finished the lift with another stationary pose.

The rest of the dancers had stopped rehearsing and gone quiet to watch the two practice this move, and they remained equally breath-taken when they finished.

"I think you've got it now, Aang. That felt more confident," Katara said, casting a genuine smile in his direction.

The smile he returned was a shadow of the one he gave her earlier and anxiety was present in his eyes."How did it feel for you? Did it hurt?" he said, his brows furrowing in concern and his eyes darting to her left shoulder.

She absently patted it, rotated her entire arm, and nodded. "It's great. I don't want you to worry about me."

"But, yesterday I hurt your shoulder when we did this. What if…"

"Aang, don't do this to yourself. I've already told you that it wasn't your fault. Your stance and hold were perfect. Sometimes these things happen. But, if you want to blame someone, blame me because I took too long getting my right leg into position."

Aang sighed and lowered his gaze to the floor. She had been dancing with him for the past 5 years and could tell that he wanted to protest further. Instead, he bit his tongue. Katara inwardly felt relief because she definitely wanted to avoid becoming irritated; especially today.

At that moment, Ty Lee, the company director, approached the pair, grinning from ear to ear. Her long ponytail swayed like a pendulum behind her.

"Aang! Katara! That last lift was gorgeous!" she shouted, clapping her hands together. She then wrapped her arms around their shoulders and continued, "Can I talk to you two?"

Aang and Katara shared a sidelong glance as they let her lead them to a private corner of the studio. They both knew from experience that these kinds of conversations with Ty Lee either meant she was delivering bad news or springing a last minute request on them.

Once they were out of earshot of the other dancers, she launched in.

"You two look more than ready for the audition. How do you feel? Katara, how's the shoulder?"

Katara nodded vigorously as Aang rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous habit he'd had since childhood.

"I think we're good to go. My shoulder feels fine today."

Ty Lee immediately turned to Aang and nudged him.

"Hey, you look nervous. What's up?"

His gray eyes clouded over in concern and he hesitated before finally speaking.

"It's just that this is a big audition. The biggest one I've ever done. I don't want to screw it up for us."

Ty Lee wrapped her arms around both of their waists and squeezed, a move that Katara despised and Aang found awkward. Still, they both tolerated it as best they could.

"You are both going to have the lead roles in this production, hands down. Even if you fall on your faces, you're obviously the best dancers in this region." came Ty Lee's complimentary words.

Aang blushed and Katara groaned inwardly. She must have been about to really lay something big on them if she was sucking up to them this much! Ty Lee somehow pulled the dancers even closer to her than they already were and lowered her voice.

"What I haven't told you both is that the lead roles have opportunities for solos that the composer has recently requested. So, in light of that, you both will need to audition with solo routines as well as your couples routine today."

Katara felt her heart rate increase but Aang dropped his head even further, giving his neck a firm squeeze. This was the behavior he engaged in when he was well past nervousness and deep within the pre-panic stage. Luckily, the two had recently perfected individual routines for a recent showcase and knew that the other would use that for today's audition.

Still, auditioning with a routine that she hadn't practiced or performed in nearly a month was asking a lot—not to mention pushing her way outside of her comfort zone. She would have to take full advantage of the 10 minute break in between the couple and individual auditions.

"I'm sorry to spring this on you but you know how artists are…"Ty Lee said in an apologetic tone. Katara smirked, convinced that it was not the artist's fault that they were just finding this information out. Ty Lee was a wonderful person and a dedicated mentor, but also completely scatter brained.

"Man, who is this composer anyway?" Aang asked, as if knowing the person's name would somehow resolve his anxiety.

On cue, excited murmurs and whispers could be heard throughout the studio. The trio turned around to see what the commotion was all about. As soon as they saw what was happening, Ty Lee grinned, and Katara and Aang both had matching looks of disbelief on their faces.

"No way! He's the composer?!" Aang said but Katara found words momentarily escaping her.

Once she had finally regained her bearings, only one name was on her lips: "Zuko."

Ty Lee released the duo and made a beeline for the composer and his assistant. Aang lightly placed a hand on Katara's shoulder and said,

"This is crazy, Katara. He's basically a musical genius and he's here, working with our studio!"

Katara nodded in silent agreement, still too stunned to form coherent words or thought.

Zuko was considered an anomaly. Not only was he young—his current age of 24 made him a year older than Katara and three years older than Aang—but his pieces were also worldly and intricate. He was a well known composer and musician in the local area arts scene but it was apparent to everyone that he was on the way to becoming much more in the near future. On top of all that, he just so happened to be one of Katara's favorite composers.

He was generally known to be a recluse and not very friendly, so Katara was amazed that he had even shown up for their audition. The fact that he was standing right in front of her at this moment was more than she could process.

Ty Lee offered her hand to Zuko as soon as she was within reach and he reluctantly accepted. His smoldering, amber eyes seemed to bore into her with an intensity that could have been off-putting, if not for his well-known personality. It was clear he was extremely introverted and uncomfortable being the center of attention. Yet, he handled it with as much poise as he could muster.

Katara considered herself professional and in control, but even she had a hard time taking her eyes off of the striking young man.

He stood a couple inches above her partner, who was at least a head taller than she was. His chiseled features and lean, well-toned physique distracted her, but nothing was more of a distraction than his eyes. They had gold and hazel tones within the dominant color and she found herself mesmerized by them. His short brown hair was a controlled mess on top of his head.

Another distinguishing feature was the prominent scar on the left side of his face. It was well known his scar was the result of a childhood accident. Though no one knew the details, they only knew it was something he didn't appear to be self-conscious about.

Katara didn't think the scar against his milky white skin and piercing eyes detracted from his appearance at all. In fact, it only enhanced his look and increased his appeal.

As Ty Lee led Zuko to the other side of the studio, she motioned to Katara and Aang, as if she had already told him about them. Katara felt her temperature spike dramatically as he turned his eyes on her. His gaze seemed to soften for a split second before he shifted to Aang.

Katara had managed to maintain some semblance of poise as she met his glance but Aang maintained a 'deer in headlights' expression that would have been comical under other circumstances. Ty Lee and Zuko made it to the waiting chairs at the other end of the studio and took their seats.

"Is everyone ready?" she announced cheerily, and dozens of heads bobbed up and down as last-minute stretches were done.

Aang finally seemed to realize that Zuko was going to be observing the auditions and snapped out of his stupor; tumbling headlong into legitimate terror.

"I don't think I feel well," he mumbled and Katara immediately grabbed the sides of his face, forcing him to lock eyes with her.

"Aang, you're ready. You know these moves like the back of your hand. Just focus and breathe, okay?"

He nodded, and she smiled at him.

Their moment was interrupted by Ty Lee's continued announcement.

"Please welcome our special guest, Zuko! He wrote the music that a select few of you will be dancing to in the show. He's here today to observe the auditions and he may also be helping us with the final selection process, so be on your toes, people!"

A burst of applause erupted from the dancers, which seemed to make Zuko shrink down further in his seat, but he was gracious enough to acknowledge the group by raising his hand slightly in the air. Once the clapping died down, more murmurs and nervous chatting followed.

Katara took the time to close her eyes and center herself. She visually ran through her couples' routine and worked out any last nerves in her mind. Then she joined the other dancers on the floor, awaiting her chance to perform.

~o0o~

Zuko sat quietly in his chair next to the bubbly and slightly annoying director. He was already uncomfortable around people and to have to work with someone so outgoing was grating. He was thankful that he brought his notepad because he was able to avoid small talk pretending to take extremely diligent notes on the performances.

So far they had completed all of the couples' routines and the girl with the dark complexion, striking blue eyes and flowing brown hair had stolen the show along with her short-haired partner. The lift they had pulled off was truly a masterful feat and even he had forgotten where he was and couldn't seem to take his eyes off the pair.

He was pulled from his note taking by Ty Lee who shoved a photo print in his face and explained that they would be taking a 10 minute break before starting the solo auditions. Zuko nodded, thanking her quietly, and then focused his attention on the photo sheet. It contained a grid of all the dancers who were participating in the audition along with their names and pictures.

Against his will, his eyes were immediately drawn to the girl he just saw dancing…Katara. The name suited her. He then glanced at more photos and spotted the male that had danced with her; his name was Aang.

They were both easily the strongest female and male dancers in the company and were shoo-ins to be cast as leads, as far as he was concerned. But he did have some other pairings in mind that he was considering for other portions of the performance.

Before long, the break was over and Ty Lee had reappeared at his side to pleasantly announce that the solo auditions were starting. Zuko carefully focused in on each dancer, making note of the way they controlled their limbs in space and felt the music emotionally with their bodies and facial expressions.

Zuko was immediately drawn in by Aang's movement during his audition. As much as he enjoyed seeing him dance with Katara, Aang showed even more strength and flexibility without her. The amount of height he got on his jumps was unreal and his limbs almost appeared to be made of rubber.

Zuko vigorously circled his picture on the photo sheet to indicate that he had made his selection for the lead male dancer.

After 3 or 4 more forgettable performances, it was time for the final audition. It seemed that the studio was more crowded now than it was at the start of the solo auditions. Zuko suspected that people had come to watch Katara's audition and his heart rate increased in anticipation.

There was a section of his piece where he played solo piano and he believed that she might be the perfect dancer to perform that. This routine would help decide that for him.

Katara finally took her place at the center of the dance floor. She had donned shorts and a tank top for this audition and the full length of her toned legs was even more apparent to Zuko.

As the first notes of the music began, Katara began to sway and point her toes skyward. Her flexibility was beyond compare and her jumps were on par with her partner's; an amazing feat considering how much smaller she was.

Zuko lost time during her performance as he watched her face, her eyes, conveying the sadness and loss the song called for. He even found himself replaying the solo piano portion of his composition and picturing her dancing to it.

At one point she leapt in the air, landed gracefully on the floor, then crumpled down and splayed her body outward. This show of extreme anguish was timed perfectly with a poignant section of the song. With her flawlessly executed movements, Zuko felt his chest tighten and a familiar mist cross his eyes.

In that moment, the emotions he connected to were palpable and raw. He glanced around the room and noticed many younger dancers openly wiping away tears. Aang just gazed at her with a look Zuko couldn't describe, but it was clear that he was entranced by what he saw.

The last tones of the song ended with her crouching down on her knees and then rising upward with her arms outstretched. Her endless blue eyes trained expectantly on something above her. Once she was finished the entire studio was eerily silent and then, almost immediately burst into an insane fit of applause.

Students were cheering wildly as Katara blushed deeply and bowed. Before he knew it himself, Zuko had gotten to his feet, clapping along with Ty Lee. Once he realized what happened, he suddenly snapped out of it and quickly sat down, studying his notes intently. He made a prominent circle around Katara's picture and smiled with satisfaction. No question about that selection.

After all of the commotion had ended and the majority of the dancers had left the studio, Zuko met with Ty Lee and his assistant in order to go over the final selections for lead male and female roles as well as the understudies and supporting roles.

Everyone agreed that Katara and Aang would be the lead male and female dancers, with two others selected as understudies.

"Great, I think we've figured everything out. I'll post the selections tomorrow and we'll have our first production meeting. Then we'll have you meet with the dancers early next week, Zuko. How does that sound for everyone?"

Zuko nodded, impressed by how the seemingly air-headed director had managed to organize things so well. As everyone stood, Ty Lee offered her hand for a shake and Zuko took it.

She bowed slightly with a sweet smile."I can't thank you enough for coming here today. I know the kids were nervous but I also think you being here pushed them to dance at a higher level."

Zuko nodded. "Thanks for having me. I enjoyed watching the dancers and I look forward to working with you."

This was Zuko's standard response in most social situations and he found that each time he used it, the person he was speaking with found it to be the appropriate thing for him to say. Ty Lee grinned and led him to the entryway of the studio. Then she disappeared with a wave of her hand.

Zuko's assistant immediately left to bring the car around while Zuko stood in the lobby, replaying the performances in his head. He kept getting stuck on Katara's solo dance.

He felt a little anxious and jittery, and he knew it was because he needed to get back home to his studio and listen to the piece again. He could better figure out the direction he wanted to go with the images he had of the movement to go along with it.

Zuko knew that his assistant had to park the car pretty far away, so he would just have to exercise patience for a few more moments. Just as he was lost in his visions of the dance, he heard someone else enter the foyer.

The person had arrived quietly into the area, as if not wanting to disturb him, but he could almost feel a pair of eyes staring at him from his right side. Against his better judgment, he glanced to the side and was pleasantly surprised to find his lead female dancer standing about a foot away from him.

~o0o~

She locked eyes with him for a moment and was the first to quickly look away. The silence was deafening and Katara struggled for something to say to the amazing musician standing right next to her. She could tell he was completely comfortable in this wordless moment, but she couldn't stand it.

"I-I just wanted to say that I love your compositions. I'm not much of a musician but they all sound so beautiful to me."

Her heart was thumping in her ears and she was sure she had just spoken the most childish words on Earth. Embarrassment filled her and Katara suddenly wished the ground would open up underneath her so that she could disappear.

A small smile crossed Zuko's face but quickly dissolved back into the firm line that Katara had grown accustomed to.

"Thanks," he said quietly and returned his gaze to the front entryway.

Katara, though, took courage from the nanosecond of happiness she had noticed with his smile and pressed on.

"Moonlight. That's the composition I love the most. I don't know why, but it just speaks to me."

Katara knew she was running the risk of sounding forceful and running him out of the building. At the same time, she knew she would hate herself for the rest of her life if she didn't say something to him about how much his music affected her.

Zuko immediately turned his entire body to face her and, even though his mouth remained firmly closed, his eyes shone with surprise. They even seemed to glow and Katara found her breath suddenly gone as she matched his gaze.

"You like Moonlight?" he said and Katara nodded vigorously in response.

"The first movement draws you in and then the solo piano in the second movement…it's so filled with emotion. Sometimes it just makes me wish I could be a pianist because I want to feel what it must be like to play something so moving."

She watched uncertainty flicker in Zuko's eyes. Katara could see in both his stance and his face he was thinking carefully about what he wanted to say.

"Most people don't even know about Moonlight. The ones who do don't find it as exciting as some of the other pieces I've written."

Katara's eyes flared as if she were angry at the naysayers and sighed in exasperation.

"Those people are idiots! That composition is one of the most complex pieces you've written. There are so many layers to it…" she trailed off slowly before glancing back up at him timidly.

"This is a little embarrassing to admit, but sometimes I dance to the solo piano portion when I'm alone in my room. It really inspires me."

Zuko nodded.

"I'm glad to hear you say that, because that's the piece we're doing for the production you just auditioned for," he blurted out. Then his eyebrows furrowed as he whispered. "Actually, I don't think I was supposed to tell you that…"

Katara chuckled at his response and then shook her head. "I have no idea what you're talking about." she continued, following up her statement with a wink.

Just then, a car engine could be heard pulling up outside. The pair glanced out the glass door and Zuko commented.

"Looks like my ride's finally made it here."

Katara couldn't hide her disappointment at the idea that she would not be able to continue talking with this interesting, attractive man.

Zuko offered his hand. "It was a pleasure talking to you, Katara. You're an impressive dancer and I would be surprised if I didn't see you again soon."

Katara's disappointment immediately dissolved.

"Thank you so much! You have no idea how much that means to me!"

"As for those 'embarrassing' moves of yours; I find I'm interested in seeing them."

He then turned to leave, giving her a quick nod of his head as he pushed open the door.

Katara felt her eyes well up and her breath catch in her throat. She silently watched his statuesque form dip down to enter the back seat of the car before it was gone into the night. She hastily brushed a couple of tears that had hit her cheeks and grinned from ear to ear.

She knew that people within her dance studio constantly told her she was a great dancer, but she had managed to convince herself over the years that they were just pandering to her and not wanting to hurt her by being truthful.

But, to have an outsider—a stranger—tell her she was good? That was different. And to have this particular stranger be the one to say it to her in his own way made a flood of fresh tears threaten to flow down her cheeks.

"Katara, there you are!" Aang said, suddenly pushing his way into the foyer, a look of relief on his face.

"I couldn't find you anywhere."

Katara hurriedly swiped her eyes and smiled happily at Aang, but he just looked at her with his eyebrows drawn together .

"Have you been crying? What happened?!" he exclaimed and Katara placed a calming hand on his shoulder.

"Nothing at all. I'm actually great. And guess what? I was able to talk to Zuko!"

"You talked to him?" Aang asked and she nodded happily.

"He told me I'm an impressive dancer! Can you believe it, Aang? Isn't that great?"

She looked directly at him and noticed that there was a slight pause before his eyebrows shot up.

"Well, yeah! Of course that's great!"

His tone had an unusual forced quality and her smile faltered.

"Are you upset?"

"No," he answered quickly and cast her a sideways glance.

"If you wanted to talk to him, I'm pretty sure you can catch him next time he's here," she replied, a bit uncertain.

Aang shook his head and smirked. "No, no. I'm good." He shifted his eyes downward.

"You sure about that?"

"I really _am_ happy for you, Katara."

"Then what's the problem?"

"I was just surprised you were alone with him...and that he was talking to you."

Relief washed over Katara as her eyes took on a dream-like quality.

"I know! It really has been the greatest day ever!" she nearly shouted, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

"And, of all of my friends, I'm glad I could share this day with you."

Aang jammed his free hand into his pocket and slipped an arm loosely around her shoulders.

"Come on, fangirl. Let's get out of here before it gets too late."

Katara playfully slapped his arm and giggled as the two exited the dance studio and stepped into the mild evening air. She continued to daydream about her eventful day and sighed as she snuggled comfortably into Aang's hold.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey, folks. Here is chapter two of the story! Thanks so much for the reviews, follows, and faves. I'm enjoying sharing this story with you guys.**

**As always, these are not my characters and don't belong to me. If I had my way, the play performed by the Ember Island Players at the end of book 3 would have been presented in real life by real performers! I'm still waiting for that to happen…**

**Lots of interesting things are coming up so enjoy the chapter and let me know what you think!**

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><p>Zuko sat with his eyes closed while listening to the rain hit his window. A cool breeze blew through the slightly damp air. He had never really taken the time to appreciate the air—or the water for that matter—until he had met her. Just watching her do simple things like breathe in and out or sigh seemed like life-altering moments to him.<p>

It had been four months since rehearsals for the show had started and he felt mentally taxed. The main reason for this was his conflicting feelings when it came to his female lead. He enjoyed working with her and seeing her. At the same time, it bothered him that he couldn't explain why he was so drawn to her as of late.

He had seen a great deal of Katara since rehearsals began and found himself enjoying every minute. At the same time, seeing her so often made things that much more confusing. There had only been one other time Zuko had felt this way. Back then, he had been young and this time was so much more intense, it didn't even compare.

His interaction with other dancers in the company had also been positive, including her partner, Aang. Initially, Zuko had gotten the impression Aang had a romantic interest in Katara. Over time and with more observation, he realized it was mainly Aang's concern for her that he was picking up on. Their interaction was more similar to what siblings would do which brought Zuko some measure of relief.

He hated to admit it, but his desire to be around her was unyielding. His heart would pound every time she entered the studio. His stomach turned flips as soon as she locked eyes with him and flashed her signature smile.

Katara's smile; it always made his insides melt. How could she not know what she was doing to him? He shook his head. She _must_ know. He felt helpless because no woman had ever done this to him before. Whether that was good or bad, he just wasn't sure.

Zuko turned his attention to another matter he couldn't control. He stared at the large pile of mail sitting on his desk and sighed dejectedly. He had gone too long without looking for bills or responses from potential collaborators. The tedious task had become a necessary evil.

He opened the first letter. Yet another production company regretting to inform him they would not be partnering with him on his upcoming project. He fumed as he tossed it in the trash along with the five other rejections he'd gotten that month.

How long would it take people to stop assuming he was like his father...willing to cut down any and everyone in his path? He used to worry that his father's reputation would negatively affect his future and now he was living it.

Zuko had made large strides to distance himself from that man. He dropped his last name to avoid associations, even moved out of town to create a new identity. No matter what, his father's past always seemed to catch up with him.

From there, it was only a matter of time before more people in the industry connected all of the dots and he ended up blacklisted. In the meantime, he hoped to prove himself to be a much better man in order to prevent that.

His cell phone rang and jarred him from his thoughts. He glanced at the name on the screen and smiled to himself as he answered.

"Uncle Iroh. It's about time you called back."

"Yes, Zuko. I'm sorry it took so long to return your call. I've been traveling for the past few days and just got back in town. What are you up to?"

"Just sifting through more rejection letters."

Iroh's deep sigh could be heard clearly through the phone.

"I'm sorry to hear that. How are the rehearsals for the show going?"

Katara's face floated into his mind and his body temperature rose.

"Fine. Everyone is working hard and it looks like we'll be able to pull off a good show."

"How is it going with Katara?"

Zuko swallowed loudly. "The same. She's pretty much ready to perform."

Iroh paused momentarily and then repeated his question more slowly.

"How is it _going_ with Katara?"

Zuko sighed in exasperation, running a hand through his hair.

"I don't know what you want me to say. She's amazing. She's the most beautiful person I've ever met in my life, and I'm terrified of how I'm feeling about her!"

He was practically yelling into the phone and the pause in his tirade allowed him to reflect on some of the things he had just admitted to his uncle.

"There. Was that so hard?" Iroh said gently, finally breaking the silence. Zuko sighed in defeat.

"Yes, it was. There's too much going on. Between her and the show and these stupid letters, I'm just tired."

"I'm coming over tomorrow and we'll spend the day together. We'll eat a nice dinner, which I'm sure you haven't had in ages. Then we'll figure all of this out. Okay?"

"But, Uncle-"

"No buts. I know you don't have rehearsal because it's Sunday. Unless you already have plans…" he trailed off and Zuko rolled his eyes at the insinuation.

"No." He sounded even more defeated than before. How was his uncle always able to break him down like this?

"Then it's settled. Get some sleep tonight because we've got a lot to do tomorrow. And don't go shopping until I get there, for goodness sake! Last time you came home with food that could either be eaten out of a can or warmed in a microwave."

"It's convenient." Zuko explained simply.

"It's unacceptable. Now have a good night. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Good night, Uncle."

Zuko hung up the phone with a slight smile on his face. His uncle could be pushy, but no one else had been there for him as consistently throughout his life.

As he prepared to turn in for the night, he thought once more of her, wondering what she was doing.

~o0o~

Katara smiled to herself as she gazed out her window at the moon. The rain had just stopped and the clouds parted to reveal a clear night sky. She was getting a rare night to herself. Suki was out with Sokka and she was enjoying every minute of it.

As she listened to the music for the show and absently went through movements in her head, her mind began to wander to her new, mysterious friend.

Zuko had come a long way since their first meeting and conversation during auditions. Back then he had been silent and brooding, unsure of himself around her. To be frank, he had been downright awkward.

But now, he was almost what she would describe as...smooth. He would give her waist a quick squeeze when they hugged and he smiled much more than she could remember.

His eyes twinkled when they talked and he'd mastered the playful smirk. Even his gait looked more confident. He sauntered upright now instead of hunched over. It put his broad shoulders on display, making him look even more attractive.

The part Katara liked the most about this transformation was the fact that Zuko seemed to be oblivious to his new charming ways.

She couldn't stop thinking about what it would be like to be nestled in his strong arms and to run her fingers through his dark chocolate hair. She wanted so badly to feel his warm touch against her skin and spend all day inhaling his sweet yet spicy scent.

She couldn't remember wanting-no, craving-someone with such intensity. It was disconcerting but she didn't care.

And yet Katara was not shallow. She wasn't blind to his thoughtful nature. He always walked her to her car when show rehearsals ran into the night. Also, there seemed to be no door that he wouldn't open for her.

One incident in particular sprang to her mind that highlighted for her how caring Zuko really was.

_During group rehearsal, she was paired with another male dancer who wasn't used to doing lifts. It was the orchestral section so Zuko happened to be observing from the side rather than at the piano._

_She could feel the instability in her partner's hold but tried to let him adjust. He hadn't been able to and she ended up slipping through his grasp, landing heavily on her tailbone, and then slamming backward. The wind was immediately knocked out of her and searing pain shot horizontally across her lower back._

_She grimaced and rolled to her side, reaching for the area that had taken the full impact of the fall. She wanted to curl into a ball and cry, but instead tried to remember to breathe. _

_Even though Zuko was the furthest away from her, he ended up being the first one at her side. All of the other dancers stood in shocked surprise and then were ushered away by Ty Lee. Katara was then instructed to lay on her back without moving and he had knelt down beside her, helping to shift her into that position. _

_Then he searched her eyes silently. Even without words, Katara could clearly see his emotions...and he looked scared. In fact, the naked fear in his expression was so obvious it made her heart swell. _

_She had smiled painfully in an attempt to reassure him. She wanted to tell him she was okay but the fall had momentarily taken her breath away. Her partner stood horrified, eyes filled with tears, as he apologized over and over. Ty Lee eventually had to take him away to help calm him._

_Aang had gone to take a water break during the incident so he was surprised to see what happened upon his return. He sprinted to her side as well, voicing his concern. He and Zuko wrapped strong arms around her waist and led her to the locker room. _

_Her back was on fire but she put on a brave face so as not to alarm the others. When she was safely in the locker room sitting on a bench, she finally doubled over, clenching her fists and squeezing her eyes shut. _

_It was only Zuko, Aang, and the medical assistant in the room with her and she could no longer hide her pain. She felt the familiar sting behind her eyelids but refused to show tears in front of an audience._

"_Katara, on a scale of 1-10, what's your pain level?" the medic asked, lifting her top from behind and lowering her leggings to better examine the injured area. "There's a large bruise forming across your lower back." _

"_9," she said through gritted teeth and she felt gentle fingers slide her ponytail from her back to her front. Then, a warm hand lingered on her upper arm. She looked up and her eyes met Zuko's concerned gaze. _

_"It's going to be okay," he said nervously, his thumb tenderly stroking her arm. It seemed as if he was trying to convince himself more than her. She smiled gratefully at him, nodding._

_The medic handed Aang an ice pack and instructed him to apply it while he prepared a bandage. _

_"This is going to be really cold. " Aang warned as he gingerly placed it against her back. She gasped from the initial sensation but then sighed in relief as the pain began to subside. _

_Zuko and Aang stayed with her as long as they could, but were eventually summoned back to rehearsal. She assured them both she was okay and encouraged them to focus on practicing. _

_Aang kissed her cheek and promised to check on her later. Once he left, Zuko had hesitated, holding her gaze. _

_"You sure you'll be alright? " he questioned._

"_Yes," Katara said, smiling as brightly as she could. "Thank you for helping me. It means a lot." _

_He nodded, forcing a worried half smile. Then he also reluctantly left the locker room. _

_Between the ice and medicine, the pain was managed well enough. Needless to say, she had to sit out a few days from rehearsal. Zuko had sent her flowers the following day and called her to see how she was doing. Even with the overwhelming physical discomfort, she felt wonderful. It was mainly because of him. _

That was a month ago and she had since fully recovered.

Katara had more than enough evidence to show her his gentle side. She truly felt like she had a new friend in her life and couldn't ignore her desire for more.

It wasn't easy for her to maintain the professional boundaries required for the two to do the show together. She could only lean on the fact that in a matter of days, it would be done and then she could move on with her life.

Maybe, she could even include Zuko in that process.

It seemed highly unlikely to Katara, but she couldn't deny the small acts of kindness and care he had started to show her. Especially with Suki pointing out each and every one on a daily basis.

Her friend meant well, but her obvious attempts to show Katara how much her crush must like her back was only serving to make her more anxious. She felt an uncomfortable pressure for the relationship to go somewhere.

Katara continued to mentally rehearse her solo. It was getting late, but she always did this before a show and it was something that made her feel more calm and relaxed.

She glanced at the clock and saw it was 11 pm. Suki might end up staying over at Sokka and Aang's place if she wasn't home in an hour. Sokka was a stickler for safety and generally wouldn't let either of them leave that late at night.

Katara yawned and stretched her arms upward. She fully intended to catch up on sleep after everything was over, but for now she had to focus. She continued to go over her dance, thinking fleetingly of the composer who had made this all possible.

~o0o~

The tall, dark-haired man gently stroked the smooth glass that covered the picture inside of the frame. He thought back to a time when her beautiful smile was only for him.

He then grabbed a pile of printed photos. He looked at the grainy images of _them._ He flipped through each one, starting slow and gaining speed like he was crazed. She was smiling in one. She couldn't take her eyes off of him in a couple more. In the next few they talked together. And just look at how close they were standing to each other! What the hell?

Before he knew what happened he hurled the framed picture into the closest wall. Shards of glass littered the ground; the dark frame of the upside-down picture was all he could see.

He had been watching her for several weeks now and he didn't like what he was seeing. How dare she try to erase him from her life so easily! Who did she think she was?

She looked sexy as always and the way she flaunted it in front of that guy! Dammit! She was only supposed to look that way for one person. _He_ was supposed to be the object of her affection.

For that reason alone, he was perfectly justified in following her around. If he couldn't do it then he made sure to have someone else who could. He remembered how often she liked to spend time around her friends so it made it that much more difficult. But he managed.

When they were together, he had always humored her when it came to her friends. It made her happy to be around them even if they were irritating. Her brother was the worst. He fancied himself some sort of protector but no one could do it better than he did. Sure, she never came out and said it but he knew the truth.

"I'll get her back. You know why? Because she's mine," he said to himself.

He went to take a swig of his beer and grumbled when he realized the can was already empty. He crumpled it in frustration and it joined the picture on the floor. He reached for a fresh one from the six pack next to him and guzzled it down.

In the darkness of his dirty apartment he could reminisce about the good old days. When she only answered to him. When she spent her waking hours thinking of him and looking for new ways to pleasure him. That was something she was very good at.

Sometimes he was so close to her, he could almost reach out and touch her. But it wasn't the right time. He had to wait until she was alone. She would be easy to convince without the peanut gallery surrounding her and influencing her naive mind.

At that moment his phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID before answering.

"Did you get it? Okay."

He fumbled around the table for a pen and wrote down the information being given to him on the phone.

"Alright, got it. Keep an eye out for anything else, okay? Later."

He hung up and continued drinking his beer. When he finished that one, he reached for another. Contrary to her and everyone else's opinion, he thought more clearly when he was buzzed. And, it was the only thing keeping him sane right now. He just had to maintain long enough to talk to her.

So what if it had been a long time since they had seen each other face to face? He didn't care. Only one thing was certain as he picked up the picture again, oblivious to the small cuts on his hands from the broken glass. He was going to make it count the next time he saw her. She would listen to him if it was the last thing she—hell either of them—did.

She was his and no one else's.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hi! I'm back with a new chapter. I know I'm updating fairly quickly right now. It may start to slow down as the story progresses, but I figure I may as well share the ones that are ready to go. **

**As always, I don't own these characters. I really wish I did, though. They are the best characters ever. I would put them into every situation I could think of just to make them feel awkward and force them to share gooey feelings. Tee hee!**

**Anywho, lots of fun stuff is happening in this one, so enjoy and let me know your thoughts! :) Also, thank you to those who have taken the time to review, fave, and /or follow this story. I really appreciate the extra effort it takes to do that!**

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><p>Sun streamed in through the blinds as Katara slept soundly in her plush, queen sized bed. She had been going through a physically demanding pre-show schedule over the past month and the light at the end of the tunnel was growing nearer. Still, her body was desperate for rest.<p>

Suddenly, a loud vibrating noise sounded from her night stand. She groggily opened one eye and peered begrudgingly at her cell phone. Her alarm clock showed it was 8:45am: not extremely early but much earlier than she had planned to wake up on a Saturday morning.

Katara yawned and reached for her phone. When she saw there was a text message from Aang, she smiled and quickly opened it up. Her smile dissolved into laughter when she saw he had pranked her older brother in his sleep and sent her a picture as evidence.

Aang and Sokka had been roommates for two years now and had ongoing battles to see who could embarrass the other more. So far, Aang was winning by a landslide.

"Katara, you awake in there?" Suki, her roommate, called from the other side of the door.

She then heard her brother's insistent shout.

"If Aang sends you a picture of me, don't look at it!"

"Too late!" Katara called, laughing even harder.

At that moment, Suki and Sokka burst into her room. Suki spun around quickly and tried to shut the door on Sokka, not allowing him to enter.

"Suki, what are you doing?" he called. "You can't just shut me out!"

Katara raised an eyebrow at Suki as a smirk played on her lips. Suki continued to struggle with the door.

"He won't let me see the picture Aang sent to his phone so I'm coming in to see yours!" she grunted with the effort she was giving to push Sokka out.

"No, Katara! Don't let her see it!" Sokka called in vain.

Suki finally managed to shut the door and swiftly locked it as Sokka began to bang loudly on the other side.

"You know, if you would stop being so stubborn and get a smartphone, you wouldn't be having this problem right now." Katara scolded playfully.

Suki just rolled her eyes as she snatched Katara's phone and looked. Her laughter filled the entire room and Katara couldn't help but join in. In the picture, Sokka was lying sprawled out in his bed while deep asleep.

His mouth was hanging open and he was wearing a whip cream beard covered with sprinkles and nuts. Aang had included himself in the side of the picture giving the 'thumbs up' sign and grinning.

"Katara, how could you?" Sokka moaned from the other side of her door and the two giggled some more.

"Even though he has that ridiculous beard on his face, I have to say he still looks kinda cute," Suki said, chuckling.

"Thank you, sweetie," Sokka called and the two girls sighed loudly.

"Sokka, go away! I want to talk to my friend in private," Suki called.

They heard grumbling and then the noise began to get more quiet until there was silence. Suki then smiled mischievously at Katara.

"So, how are things?" she asked.

"Things are _fine_." Katara replied, looking away from Suki's gaze.

"Hey, you know what I'm talking about, " Suki encouraged but Katara's refused to respond.

Right at that moment, the phone Suki was holding vibrated and a text message notification appeared.

"Ah, here we go. I guess I'll just find out for myself!" she said, sliding her finger across Katara's screen to unlock her phone.

"Did he text me!? Give me that!" Katara shouted urgently, wrestling the phone away from her roommate.

She was blushing madly and Suki began to bob up and down while clapping her hands.

"I knew it! You can't hide these kinds of things from your best friend, you know. I've seen the way you two are always looking at each other."

Katara's blush deepened as she read the text message.

"That was just one or two rehearsals. You can't act like you know what's going on," Katara insisted.

"And he's texting you first thing on a Saturday morning? Come on, Katara." Suki folded her arms with a knowing smile on her face.

"For your information, he was just confirming our meeting time for rehearsal this afternoon." Katara replied typing a quick response and sending it.

"Yeah, 'rehearsal'. What are you two practicing, making out?" Suki quipped.

Katara playfully hit her arm before getting out of bed and heading to her bathroom to get ready.

"If you must know, we're going over my solo again. Is that alright?"

Suki nodded sarcastically. "He's just looking for an excuse to see you again without alerting the other dancers. He can secretly check you out while pretending to work with everyone."

"Well, I would agree with you, except the others won't be there," Katara made sure to add.

Suki's mouth dropped to the floor.

"You mean to tell me you and Zuko are rehearsing alone together at the dance studio today and you don't think he likes you!?"

Katara reappeared from the bathroom and shrugged again, the familiar redness coloring her cheeks.

"It's not like that."

Suki nodded. "I see. It's not about you thinking he likes you, is it? It's about you _hoping_ he likes you," she stated simply.

Katara didn't say anything but stared into her friend's eyes, a hint of longing present in her expression.

This prompted Suki to wrap a friendly arm around her shoulders. She then placed her head on Katara's shoulder as Katara sighed.

"It's that obvious, huh?" she said in defeat and Suki chuckled.

"Yeah. But I have to say it definitely looks to me like he likes you, too. Just give it some time."

Katara nodded silently as she pulled on her workout attire. Suki then went to the door and pulled it open. Sokka, who was leaning heavily against it, toppled inside and onto the floor.

"Sokka! Quit eavesdropping on your sister's conversations!" Suki chastised, slapping him hard in the back.

"Ow!" he cried out as she dragged him out into the living room. "How else am I going to know my little sister is into some musician? And, how else am I going to know who to beat up if this guy hurts her?"

"She's a big girl," Suki informed him. "Besides, you should be more focused on me right now."

She then advanced on her boyfriend, firmly pressing her lips to his. He responded to the kiss and then pulled away, smiling.

"You're right. Who cares about the Music Man and Princess Twirls-a-Lot when I've got you here?" He went in for a second kiss and Suki, giggling at his made-up nicknames, obliged.

"Get a room!" Katara called as she eased herself around the couple and grabbed her workout bag.

"I'm going to the gym. You two better not still be standing in this same spot when I get back." she warned playfully. Then she slipped out the door, closing it behind her.

She headed straight to her car. When she inserted her key, she smiled to herself. Pausing, she pulled out her phone again and re-read the text message conversation she was having with Zuko:

_Hey. We're still on for solo rehearsal, right? _he had typed.

_Of course! 4pm? I'll have that new thing ready. ;)_

_Can't wait to see you. _

Katara's heart pounded at his last response and a contented grin spread across her face.

She sent a text back with a similar response, then started her car and drove away.

~o0o~

Aang waited patiently at the restaurant for his roommate to arrive for lunch. Sokka was notorious for being late and Aang heard his stomach rumbling as he stared absently at the menu in front of him.

Five more minutes passed and then his friend appeared.

"Yo, prankster! I hope you enjoyed your little win this morning because I'm definitely going to get you back," Sokka warned as he plopped down opposite Aang at the table.

Aang smiled at Sokka in amusement.

"I'd like to see you try."

Sokka took a swig of the water sitting before him and then reached for a menu. "Sorry, I was late. I was just…"

"With Suki," Aang finished and Sokka nodded.

"She can be very distracting." Sokka smirked and Aang just shook his head.

Sokka paused for a moment, glancing at the menu in front of him. "How are the burgers here?"

Aang shrugged. "You know me. I prefer the salad."

"Of course you do," Sokka replied, closing his menu and leaning back in his chair.

The waiter walked up, took their orders, and disappeared as quietly as he had appeared.

As soon as they were alone again, Sokka trained his blue eyes on Aang's sullen face and raised an eyebrow.

"What's eating you, Fancy Dancer?"

Aang rolled his eyes and sighed. "Man, why does Toph have to come up with the worst nicknames? They always seem to stick," he said with disdain and Sokka chuckled.

"She comes up with the best nicknames and you know it. By the way...how is she?"

Aang nodded, motioning to his phone.

"She's doing fine. She called me the other day. She's in Italy visiting with her parents in between heading to Germany for her next semester of school."

Aang's tone of voice sounded resentful and Sokka frowned.

"Something going on there? You don't seem very excited about her exploits."

Aang looked away guiltily before responding.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be in a bad mood. I'm just frustrated about her and, well...us."

Sokka nodded. "Yeah." He grabbed another roll. "Does Toph know you miss her this much?"

Aang shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his cheeks tinting red. Was he that transparent? Could Sokka really see right through him like that?

"Well, I didn't say I missed her..." Aang trailed off, looking away, and Sokka interrupted.

"You didn't have to," Sokka replied. "And I take it she has no clue?"

"Come on, Sokka. What am I supposed to do? Tell her I miss having her next to me, smacking me in the arm when I say something stupid? I'm supposed to tell her I love her and I'm sick of her traveling all over the world? That I just want her here with me!?" Aang blurted out.

Sokka paused mid-bite, his eyes slightly widening.

"Wow. Well, maybe not all in a rush like that, but yeah. Basically tell her that."

Aang shifted in his seat again and grabbed the back of his neck. "I'm not going to do that. It's not fair to her."

Sokka folded his arms as he looked pointedly at his friend. "What about what's fair to you? What about your needs?"

Aang groaned inwardly. "Not this 'what about your needs' speech again," he mumbled.

"I'm serious, Aang. Everyone else always gets to do what they want in your life except you. You matter just as much as Toph and she has a right to know how you're feeling."

Aang didn't reply, which meant he was listening.

"Think about it: Toph has a very strong personality and you like to appease. It's a recipe for a one-sided relationship, man."

"Maybe," Aang acknowledged.

"The difference between her and all the other girls you've dated is that she actually cares about how you feel and would be very upset if she knew you were hiding this from her."

"I guess that might bother her," Aang said noncommittally.

The waiter arrived with their food, then asked if they needed anything else before he left. Sokka quickly grabbed his food with gusto.

"Hey! How are things going in your dance club?" Sokka asked with a mouthful of hamburger.

"It's called a company, Sokka."

"Whatever. Is Katara making out with that composer guy yet?"

"You mean Zuko? No, not yet."

Sokka swallowed his food and guzzled his soda.

"Ha! Yeah, she wants him bad."

Aang nodded grimly.

"I noticed it the night we first auditioned. She told me she had talked to him alone and that's when I first got worried."

Sokka shot him a look.

"Should I be concerned about something?"

Aang shrugged.

"Katara falls too hard. I'm not saying she's always looking for guys to date because she hasn't had that many relationships. I'm just saying when she likes someone, she _likes _them."

Sokka chuckled, nodding in agreement.

"And Zuko seems like a nice guy but I don't know if she's really ready after the last one. He did a number on her." A dark look crossed Aang's face, as if he were remembering something that angered him.

Sokka shrugged, stuffing the last of his burger into his mouth.

"You worry too much. Besides, that ex-jerk of hers taught her to stand up for herself. She's not taking any crap from anyone else, including the Music Man."

Aang sighed. "If you say so. It really sucks having to help her through the break-ups, though. She gets so heartbroken."

"Well, I would rather her keep trying and risk getting hurt again then totally giving up."

Sokka paused, his facial expression serious, before continuing.

"It's like when mom died. Katara was only eight, but she saw and felt how lost and sad our dad was. For months he was like a walking ghost."

"Yeah, I remember that." Aang said quietly.

"She had decided then and there not to let herself have such strong feelings for someone. She didn't think she could take the pain when they were gone." Sokka continued.

Aang set down his fork and nodded.

"That's what I mean. How did she go from that to a hopeless romantic?"

Sokka half-smiled, absently absently wiping his hands off with his napkin.

"That was Dad's fault. He was so upset to see his little girl already giving up on love he kind of snapped out of his trance. He sat her down and told her even though he only had a short time with our mom, he wouldn't trade it for anything."

Sokka then glanced into Aang's eyes and he was already looking back at him.

"He convinced her love was worth it. And that worked for them. They were both able to heal."

Aang nodded in understanding, shifting his gaze to the tabletop.

"I'm glad she was able to heal and I don't want her to ever stop trying to find love. I just wish there was a way to avoid all the messy break-up parts."

"I'm with ya, man. But, seriously...don't worry about her. She'll keep falling in love, I'll keep trying to scare away her boyfriends, and the world won't come to an end. You just worry about Toph and everything else will work itself out."

"Maybe you're right."

Aang picked his fork up again preparing to finish his salad. Sokka quickly nabbed a cucumber from his plate and stuffed it in his mouth, chewing heartily. Within seconds, he made a disgusted face and dramatically spit it out into his napkin.

"Ew, gross. How can you eat that stuff?" he nearly shouted.

He jammed a few french fries in his mouth and Aang knew it was in an effort to remove the taste of vegetables from his tongue. He shook his head, chuckling.

Same old Sokka.

~o0o~

Zuko waited patiently in his car for Katara to arrive at the studio. He drove himself that afternoon because he was tired of being chauffeured around town. He was locally well-known but not so much he couldn't live a normal life.

As he waited for Katara to arrive, he began to replay their interactions in his head.

He had gone to nearly all of the rehearsals for the show since the auditions started. In each one, Zuko found himself more and more interested in Katara, especially during these last few weeks leading up to the performance.

The first few meetings consisted of him giving feedback and just watching her dance. Over time, she began asking about his day and he found himself openly talking with her.

Most recently, they had been chatting about a portion of her solo she didn't like. That conversation prompted their meeting in the studio today.

She said she wanted to work more on her movements and timing without being distracted by the other dancers. In truth, the only one distracting anybody was her.

After that conversation, they stood face to face and Zuko was unsure of how to leave without turning and walking the other way. For once, that felt too cold.

That was when it happened. She leaned in and gave him a hug. Her gentle arms encircled his waist and she rested her head against his chest. Zuko's first instinct was to pull away.

But Katara's embrace felt so warm and inviting. Instead, he found himself sliding his arms around her. He couldn't believe he had actually enjoyed holding her!

When she pulled away and disappeared from view with a wave, he noticed he missed her presence.

They had exchanged cell phone numbers weeks earlier but neither of them had used them yet. He had initially done it as an automatic response to her suggestion. Afterward, he was thankful he had another way to connect to her.

That was when he had sent her the text about setting up a practice time. After spending the better part of 15 minutes agonizing over the message, he finally sent something so mundane he immediately wished he could snatch it back out of the air.

But, she had responded with smiley faces and exclamation points. He smiled. Apparently his message hadn't been that dumb. It gave him confidence and he found himself messaging back and forth with her on a regular basis.

Her car pulled up in the parking space next to his and he was snapped out of his thoughts. He grabbed his music and exited the car, walking over to her open car door just as she stood and reached for her bag.

"Hi," she said simply and a bright smile flashed across her face. Her aqua eyes seemed to be gleaming and he knew he couldn't disengage from them if he tried.

"Hey," he replied, producing a small smile of his own.

She pulled out her key to the studio and led the way to the entrance. When he had previously asked about why some dancers had free access to the studio and why some didn't, she explained that certain dancers who were more advanced and required more flexible practicing options were allowed the responsibility.

Zuko had asked if it was the better dancers who got keys and they both laughed before Katara shrugged, unwilling to admit that. Now, she stuck the key in the lock and let them both in, locking the door behind them.

Zuko set up his music on the piano while Katara dressed down to her practice clothing. Today she wore a leotard and knee-length sheer flowing skirt. He found himself again drawn to her legs as she stretched, but pulled himself away as he did a few quick warm ups.

By the time he was done, Katara was standing in the middle of the dance floor eyeing him. He smirked and then turned his music to the correct section.

"So, what did you want to work on first?" he asked.

"The section where I start with this pose," she answered as she got into a stance and he nodded. He wasn't afraid to admit he had memorized her movements so well he knew where in the music she was talking about. This was his way of practicing with any dancer, but he actually enjoyed doing this with her.

"Okay. 1-2-3-4, " he said and then played the slow-flowing section.

She moved on cue and Zuko was thankful his fingers knew where to go because he refused to take his eyes off of her. Her arm and leg positions made her look like a contemporary ballerina. The way her skirt rose and fell when she spun was breathtaking.

He closed his eyes momentarily as he approached his favorite part of the solo but opened them again quickly so he could watch out for the new move she had told him she wanted to incorporate. She did her normal spin with both arms raised, then dipped downward.

Zuko knew what she normally did from this point but her next position was brand new. She launched herself into the air and did a front flip with her legs split apart.

She landed gracefully on her back foot, bringing her front foot down and then bent into a lunge with her back leg extended. Her skirt flowed like water around her and landed softly against her legs.

She slid back up until she was upright again and then immediately transitioned into a spin. She lifted one leg and completed 8 rotations before stopping and kicking her leg back and up with outstretched arms.

When she finished, she smoothed stray hairs out of her face and placed her hands on her hips. Her chest rose and fell as she breathed hard, recovering from her exertion.

Zuko just stared at her, wide-eyed, and stood up from the piano. She had already danced the section more perfectly than he had ever seen, and that aerial jump combination was outstanding.

"What do you think?" she asked. "I've never done that combo in my routines before."

"It was...beautiful," he breathed, walking closer to her.

She looked down at the ground and a prominent blush highlighted her cheeks. Zuko was drawn to her like a moth to flame. Her dancing made him feel excited and peaceful at the same time.

He was completely out of his element and loving it. He closed the space between them and when she looked back up, she was gazing directly into his eyes.

Being so close to her seemed to intoxicate his senses because he felt as if he had lost control of his limbs. His next movements were instinctual as he wrapped both arms around her waist and pulled her flush against his chest.

"You're beautiful," he whispered.

Zuko knew he shouldn't. They were this close to the end of rehearsals and it was sure to cause some issues. Still, he was tired of fighting himself when it came to his feelings for her.

Katara's breathing got even more shallow than before but she didn't pull away. Zuko felt her heart hammering against his chest. If she felt anything like he did, it had nothing to do with the dance she had just performed.

This gave him the courage to lean in and tenderly press his lips to hers.

He was surprised to feel how intensely she responded. She placed her hand on the back of his head, pulling him more firmly toward her and deepening the kiss.

He got lost in the taste of her lips and the feel of her skin against his. He felt as if he was drowning in it and that was exactly what he wanted.

The moment he sensed he was on the brink of losing all control, he reluctantly pulled away. They both stood with their foreheads touching and their breaths coming in short gasps. He cradled her face in his hands as she rested against him.

Suddenly, an overwhelming dread settled into his body as he thought about what he had just done. What if he had pushed too far in initiating the kiss? What if she just kissed him back to keep him from feeling foolish?

"I-I'm sorry." he murmured, letting go of her and preparing to step back.

Katara caught his hands up into hers before he got too far into his retreat and looked up into his eyes. Within seconds of looking at him, she burst into a sudden fit of laughter.

Zuko cocked an eyebrow up in confusion but his fear started to abate. If she was laughing then this couldn't have been a complete mistake.

"Zuko, I'm sorry. I don't mean to laugh but you looked like a scared little boy just then. Do you really think I'm angry that you kissed me?"

His eyes softened and a sheepish look crossed his face.

"I don't know if you know this about me, but I'm not great with people and I'm bad at reading signals," he said nervously. Katara stroked his cheek with her thumb and nodded, brushing against the raised rough patch that was his scar.

There was no hesitation in her touch and she even seemed to do it on purpose. His most glaring physical flaw that had taken him years of struggle to come to terms with, she had accepted in a moment.

"You're great around me. And, believe me. I've been wanting that for a while."

Zuko softly sighed, letting out the breath he had been holding. They smiled at each other, any nervousness between the two of them gently melting away.

He looked around the studio as if he had forgotten where they were and said, "We should practice some more, right?"

"We should," Katara agreed, but instead of heading back to her position on the dance floor, she pulled Zuko into another kiss. This time, it was more playful and light.

He slid his arms around her waist again. They slipped easily into their previous position as if they belonged there.

It looked like dance rehearsal was officially over for the afternoon. Zuko was perfectly okay with that.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: So, here we are again! Thanks for the feedback and for those who are keeping up with reading this story. I'm learning a lot by writing this and enjoying the process.**

**I don't own any of these characters. Don't remind me of that sad fact. :(**

**This one is a little shorter, but hopefully enjoyable. Feel free to let me know what you think! Also, I know I've been updating like a fiend lately. I'll be spacing the upcoming chapters out a bit more as I continue to flesh everything out.**

**Have a good one!**

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><p>At long last, the show was starting. It was only a one night performance, but that was normal for guest artists. Katara was excited and relieved. As she sat in the dressing room getting the rest of her makeup done, she closed her eyes and meditated. She used the time to clear her mind of the clutter and only focus on the task at hand.<p>

Usually the last 30 minutes before curtain, she isolated herself in the dressing room and did her pre-show routine. She always got a little nervous beforehand and felt better when she wasn't interacting with others. The jitters were even more pronounced when she knew she only had one chance to get it right.

Eventually, she reopened her eyes and sighed. Taking one last look at her blue leotard with strands of silver glitter that shone throughout and her sheer silver skirt, she sighed. She sat for a moment deep breathing and pushing thoughts of a certain composer out of her mind when she heard a light knock at the door.

"Katara, card for you." She recognized the voice as one of the volunteer stagehands.

She turned to see the sealed envelope slide underneath the door. She tore it open and saw that it was a thank you card. The inside was blank except a handwritten message:

_Good luck tonight. Thank you for bringing life to my music._

_You look so beautiful._

Then there was a messy signature scrawled below it which Katara immediately recognized. She blushed deeply and grinned.

It crossed her mind that the man behind this message had started out as a figure she admired from afar. They had become fast friends since she struck up that first conversation. Since then, everything had happened in a whirlwind.

As she read the last line again, she chuckled softly. Okay, maybe they hadn't really gone through the friend stage. In all honesty, her feelings for him had never been anything less than romantic after audition night.

But, that meant she would have to admit that she and Zuko might be on a fast-track. Was that what she wanted? More importantly, was it what she _needed_?

Still, this all felt natural and right to her. Every time his amber eyes met hers and that smirk crossed his lips, her heartbeat went out of control. Its erratic thumping would nearly drown out her own thoughts, to the point that all she could do was grin like an idiot when she saw him.

A small part of her was concerned that they were setting themselves up for failure. She wanted their connection to be about more than their obvious physical chemistry. But, what did he want? What was she to him? She already knew that she wouldn't be able to go too much longer without having a solid answer to those questions.

Another knock at the door signaled to her it was time for the show to start. She smiled at the card in her hand once more before slipping it into her bag. Then she reached for the necklace hanging on the corner of her dressing room mirror and kissed the charm that hung from the chain.

She smiled once more before heading out the door and to the stage.

~o0o~

The show went off without a hitch. Everyone was performing their routines flawlessly and the energy from the audience was elevated. Katara particularly enjoyed her duet with Aang this evening because of his energy and enthusiasm.

His lifts were stronger and more confident than she remembered from any of their previous rehearsals. She felt like she was flying during their signature lift-spin-dismount combo and the crowd reacted appreciatively.

When she did her solo, it was just Zuko on the piano and her dancing. The moment was electric and you could hear a pin drop in the theater. As they connected on stage the atmosphere around them buzzed, thick and heavy with excitement.

It was hard for her to contain her own feelings toward the end and one glance at Zuko told her he was dealing with the same strong emotions. His eyes were closed but his face and posture displayed what was in his heart. Katara couldn't tell if their recent physical connection had contributed to this change, but something had definitely kicked the level of their performance up a notch.

The dance seemed to be over too quickly and Katara felt a pang of loss as she heard the final notes of the piano. There was an internal battle being waged within her to find the willpower to leave the stage. Her delay was not significant enough to alert the audience, but Zuko immediately locked eyes with her when she remained only a few seconds longer than rehearsed.

Katara felt as if she was exposing her entire soul to him in that momentary gaze. She also saw something deeper in his eyes but could find no way to describe it. Finally, she exhaled, tore her eyes away from his, and jogged toward the darkness backstage.

As she made her exit, she trembled uncontrollably. Her emotions had peaked and were manifesting within her body. The first person she encountered backstage was Aang. One look into his red-rimmed eyes told Katara the entire story.

"Katara, your dance…" he began but she didn't let him finish. She knew what he was going to say and she didn't have the capacity to take on how overwhelmed he was on top of what she was dealing with. So instead she wrapped her arms around him firmly and he returned the gesture. He didn't speak and Katara was grateful for that. The pressure of his embrace helped to contain her, which was the only thing she needed in that moment.

Ty Lee walked up moments after and Katara released Aang, sniffling and swiping at her eyes. From the look of it, Ty Lee had gone through a similar emotional experience as her and Aang. She shook her head as she pointed to the stage.

"That was otherworldly!" Her hands fanned out wildly. "I have never felt _anything_ as powerful as what you two just presented." She placed her hands over her heart. "Keep this up and you're both going to have bright futures together."

Katara's eyes swam with tears and she laughed as she embraced her mentor. Even without considering the personal meaning she could take from that statement, she was still floating on air.

From there, she remained just off-stage and was able to relax and watch a few performances before their finale.

She enjoyed watching Zuko perform. He played with abandon during the upbeat portions and contrasted that with tenderness during the slower parts. Katara was amazed with how often he closed his eyes and was still able to feel where the dance was and even when to pause. He was truly a genius at his craft.

When all the routines were complete, the dancers stood on stage together. They held hands and bowed together as the audience applauded fiercely. Katara couldn't get rid of the grin on her face if she tried.

She and Aang were announced as soloists and got an extra burst of applause as they stepped forward to bow together. Katara received a large bouquet of blue lilies and chocolate bearded irises while Aang got a brown basket full of vegetables.

Zuko stood in the middle of the row of dancers waving to the audience while his name was announced as the guest composer. The dancers urged him to step forward and the crowd completely lost it when he did. The standing ovation was deafening and went on for several minutes.

His face went as bright red as his outfit and a lump formed in Katara's throat. To see so many people appreciating him as much as she did made her euphoric.

After a few more moments, the curtains were drawn and applause continued to drift toward the stage as the dancers put down their gifts and excitedly hugged each other. Aang made a beeline for Katara and scooped her up into his arms. They both laughed and squeezed each other tightly.

"I couldn't ask for a better partner," he said as he held her and she smiled.

"Me too, Aang, " she replied sincerely.

"Well, if you like Princess Twirls-a-lot so much, why don't you just marry her?"

Katara and Aang froze at the sound of the familiar voice and Aang spun around, shock written all over his face.

"Toph!?"

He sprinted over to her in a flash and took her into his arms. Toph immediately grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck as his curled around her slender waist.

Then, Aang kissed her dramatically and Katara grinned widely. Sokka and Suki walked up then. Sokka looked very pleased with himself while Suki sighed romantically. The two of them congratulated Katara on her performance before returning to the couple, amazed they were still going at it.

When they finally came up for air, Aang immediately locked eyes with his friend.

"How is she here?" he demanded and Sokka grinned slyly.

"This has been in the works for a few months now. Toph knew she wanted to be here for your next show and we worked it out."

"But what if I didn't make it into the show? Auditions were a few months ago. You would've had to set this up way before that."

Toph slid her hand into his, leaning against him.

"Of course you were going to make it in the show. You gotta trust yourself more, Fancy Dancer." Then she jabbed him hard in his side.

During this conversation, Zuko had stealthily made his way over to Katara. When she sensed him scoot in next to her, his arm gently brushing hers, a tingle traveled down her spine.

"So, this is his girlfriend huh?" he inquired and Katara nodded.

"Yep. Hard to believe, isn't it?"

"Well, they say opposites attract, right?"

The two locked eyes then and Katara had to hastily avert her gaze before the moment got too intense. She eyed her feet before she quietly spoke.

"I got your card. Thank you." She hesitantly looked back up into his eyes and he gave her a simple nod as the corners of his mouth turned up.

"You were amazing out there," he said.

"So were you."

He hesitated a moment before he turned toward her. She followed suit, and the two stood face to face.

"I've never felt anything like what I felt during that solo," she said quietly.

A far away look surfaced in Zuko's eyes, as if he were reliving a cherished moment and he smiled.

"I felt that too."

It would have been a simple thing for her to reach up on her tip toes and press her lips lightly to his. But, with everyone surrounding them, it seemed like an impossible task. Instead, she settled for placing a hand on his arm and squeezing.

"I'll never forget that as long as I live," she said gently and he nodded. He placed his free hand on top of hers and stroked it ever so slightly.

They stood there for a moment, his hand warm against hers, and just like that, it was as if no one else was around them. Feeling his touch had mentally pulled her back to their performance together. Katara was certain she could live in that place forever.

Zuko's voice tugged her away from her thoughts.

"You busy tonight?" he asked, a little shyly, and Katara couldn't hide the blush that crept onto her cheeks.

One would think they hadn't spent the better part of an evening all over each other, but she vividly remembered their private rehearsal four nights ago. Judging by the redness in his face, he remembered it too. Neither had addressed the implications of that afternoon since.

"No," she replied expectantly and she noticed a look of relief pass over his face.

"Well, I was wondering—"

"Hey, guys! What's happening over here?"

Katara involuntarily jumped and Zuko wheeled around to face the intruder.

"Sokka," she growled. As usual, his timing was impeccable.

"She's right. That's my name. And you are the famous Zuko."

He shoved his hand forward for a shake and Zuko grasped it. Katara noticed a perturbed look on Zuko's face and made a mental note to punch Sokka as soon as she got the chance.

"Nice to meet you, Sokka. You must be Katara's brother."

"Older brother, to be exact." Zuko went to pull his hand away but Sokka didn't immediately let go. "You two seem to be getting pretty chummy. You guys making plans? For later?"

He had an obnoxious smile on his face that Katara was ready to wipe off any way she could.

Zuko's facial expression was now neutral but Katara could see how tense his body was. He had finally managed to free his hand from the vise-like grip and jammed it into his pocket, staring evenly at Sokka.

"Sokka…" she said in a warning tone. She was giving him one last chance to leave.

"Maybe we can do a group thing. I'm sure the others are available, too. We can go to that one place. With the...um...food."

"A place...with food?"

Zuko raised an eyebrow at him and Katara almost felt the urge to laugh. She enjoyed watching Sokka squirm. It was obvious her brother was just stalling now, trying to prevent them from continuing their previous conversation.

Just before she was about to give him a stronger hint to back off, a shrill voice pierced the air.

"Sokka! What are you doing!?"

The three turned to see Suki stomping angrily toward them. Her fists were balled at her sides and her mouth was set in a hard line. She looked terrifying and Sokka gulped loudly.

"It's impolite to interrupt other people's conversations," she said and grabbed his hand roughly. "Now let's leave them alone."

"But, Suki! I was just having a friendly chat."

Suki cocked her head to the side. "Sure you were. " Then she turned to face Zuko.

"Zuko, it was nice to meet you. We'll be going now." She flashed a quick smile before turning away, dragging her boyfriend along with her.

"Take care," Zuko called out politely and Sokka nodded in acknowledgement.

Suki cast Katara an apologetic look and Katara smiled while mouthing the words, "Thank you."

When they were out of earshot, Katara shook her head.

"I'm _so_ sorry about that. My brother can be...intrusive."

"He's just looking out for you," Zuko said and Katara shrugged.

"In his own way."

Zuko cleared his throat. "So—"

"I would love to hang out with you tonight, " Katara interrupted and Zuko smiled.

"Great. Meet at my place in an hour?"

Katara nodded, her eyes shining. "Of course."

Zuko slipped her a piece of paper.

"My address is on there. Call me if you have trouble finding it."

Katara took the paper and raised an eyebrow. "You had this all ready to go, huh? Pretty sure of yourself."

Zuko shrugged, looking down.

"Well, not exactly..."

"I'm just teasing. I'll see you later."

She waved before she turned to say her good-byes to her friends and properly welcome Toph home. Zuko waved back and went in the direction of his car. Katara discreetly watched his retreating form, barely containing the urge to follow him home right then.

**A/N: And, we're going to pause right there. Loved it? Hated it? Indifferent? Let me know.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Well, hello! Hopefully all is well. I'm doing swell myself, thanks for asking! ;)**

**A new chapter is here...better start reading! **

**As usual, I don't own any of these characters. But, I will control them as much as I like because I **_**do**_** own this story. So, there.**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>Katara pulled up to Zuko's house and smiled. Even though it was dark outside, the front of the house was well lit and looked charming from the curb. There were small areas of shrubbery and blooming flowers in shades of red and yellow. He even had a fountain with water flowing out of the mouth of a dragon near the porch. The design of the front lawn and plant life was understated yet beautiful.<p>

His house was situated in a quiet part of the city, set apart from all of the crowds and other homes. It was exactly what she pictured he would choose as his refuge and she immediately liked it.

She was relieved to finally be arriving at his place. It had taken a miracle to get herself out of the theater. Her brother and her friends kept grilling her for information about her "date" and offering unwanted advice about how to respond to the sexual advances they were certain Zuko would make.

On top of that, Ty Lee dragged her around the theater for 15 minutes introducing her to other dancers who watched the performance. Those people then proceeded to compliment her and ask her questions. Katara was appreciative of the feedback and interaction, but her mind kept drifting to the man waiting patiently for her at his house. After what seemed like forever, she was finally able to change out of her costume and flee the theater.

She parked in Zuko's driveway and walked up to the front door. After knocking once, the door was swiftly pulled open, as if he had been waiting on the other side with his hand on the knob. She looked at him and her heartbeat skipped. There was a determination in his gaze that gave her goosebumps.

Before she could speak, he wrapped an arm firmly around her waist and drew her inside. He shut and locked the door behind her and then, without a word, he kissed her.

It was nothing like the show Aang had put on in front of everyone back at the theater with Toph. Zuko's hands dug into the soft skin of her waist while his heated mouth crushed against hers. Katara felt the raw desire behind his contact and it caught her off guard. His intense, fiery approach was exciting and dizzying. The warmth she felt in the pit of her belly was distracting. She knew where they would end up if they kept following his lead.

Although she wasn't opposed to the idea of being intimate with him, she preferred to take her time. At least that was one thing she could pace gradually since everything else about their recent interactions was happening at lightning speed.

Even though they had been working together for four months, they had only started talking in the past couple weeks. Their process of getting acquainted had definitely sped up from that point on.

So, she kissed him back slowly, not wanting to stop completely. She was enjoying herself too much for that.

She had no intention of trying to overpower him, but took a more sensual path. She went in tenderly and deeply, similar to the way she first kissed him, but with much less anxiety behind it. She instantly felt him come down to match her. He released the grip he had on her waist and his hands ghosted along the curve of her hips. She in turn grasped his broad shoulders and then slid her hands downward to his toned chest, resting them there.

Somehow, her plan had the opposite effect of what she intended. Her desire for him elevated almost immediately. Even though he was more rhythmic and gentle, there was a quiet strength he was now displaying. He had translated the mixture of their approaches into something that was infinitely more arousing than what he was doing before.

She had almost lost track of what she was doing and, when she realized that her hands were traveling even lower to explore his defined abdomen, she knew she was in unstable territory. She pulled away from him, breathless, and leaned against the front door. Zuko was also breathing heavily and it was apparent to her they had both been taken away by that kiss.

"Wow, that was quite a greeting," she said and he nodded.

"Sorry about that. It wasn't exactly what I planned on doing," he responded and she smiled.

_I'll say. _"Oh? What were you planning?"

"I was going to start with, 'Hi' and then maybe ask you to come in."

Katara chuckled as she set her purse down on a nearby chair.

"Well, I preferred the greeting you gave."

The surprised look on Zuko's face made her laugh out loud.

"So, show me around," she said, coming to his side and slipping her arm through his.

"I just moved in not too long ago, so please forgive me if there's anything out of place." he explained.

He led her around, starting with the great room, then the kitchen and den in addition to all five bedrooms and three bathrooms. Katara fell in love with his home, particularly the master suite. It was larger than it looked from the outside but not so big that it seemed excessive.

Finally, he showed her the door that led to his studio but refused to show her inside. Katara attempted to give him a flirtatious pout to sway him, which almost seemed to work. But, he voiced his concern about her seeing his work space in such disarray and she backed off.

However, he had promised to show her the next time she came by and she couldn't help but smile. Not only was she excited that she would get to see where he created his works of art but she was also happy that he was already considering having her over again.

Hours later, the two were lounging around on the couch. They had eaten a wonderful meal of roasted duck, asparagus sauteed in garlic butter sauce, and wild rice with cilantro. The meal had had been prepared by his uncle. Katara told him he was lucky to have such an amazing cook in his family.

They had just finished talking about some of the more memorable parts of the show, when Katara paused to take a sip of water.

"So, what made you get into music?" she asked out of nowhere and she perceived a tension enter the room that wasn't there before.

"It was kind of an escape from the family business," he said curtly and Katara raised an eyebrow.

"Family business? You sound like you're part of the mob or something."

Zuko shook his head dryly.

"Yeah, well..." he trailed off. Katara waited for him to finish his thought, but he didn't.

The two sat in silence as she contemplated her next statement.

"I dance because of my mom," she started hesitantly and Zuko nodded quietly. His reaction encouraged her to continue.

"She loved to dance and she was really good at it. She showed me videos of when she was younger and she was a natural."

Katara paused and thought fleetingly of her mother's face. It had gotten harder and harder to picture her as she got older, but she would never give up trying.

"She used to dance with me when I was a little girl. Even though she was classically trained, she didn't mind spinning me around in the living room or jumping up and down on my bed. It was the most fun I had as a kid."

"You and your mom must be very close," Zuko observed and Katara smiled sadly.

"We would be if she were still here, but she died when I was eight," Katara replied quietly.

She felt a warm hand cover hers and gently squeeze. She curled her fingers around his in response.

"She was killed. We came home one day and found her. We still don't know who did it or why. It all happened so fast. It was like she was there and then she was just...gone."

Her free hand slid down to her necklace and she grasped the charm dangling there. It was a set of silver ballet slippers and the ribbons had small diamonds encrusted along their length.

"This was her favorite piece of jewelry and it's pretty much all I have left of her."

"I'm so sorry, Katara." There was a genuine sorrow in his tone that caused her to look over at him. His eyes displayed a mixture of sadness and anxiety, as if he was waiting for her to breakdown.

She smiled slightly. "I'm okay. I mean, it was really hard at first, don't get me wrong. But, I accepted it a long time ago and I know she wanted me to live and be happy. That's what I try to do."

The next thing she knew, he had scooted next to her. She automatically leaned her head against his shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her. His scent permeated her senses and she breathed in deeply. There was a hint of cinnamon spice and it perfectly matched him. The warmth of his body heat intermingled with the soft fibers of his shirt was supremely comforting to her.

They sat like that for several moments, neither one speaking, and Katara relished in it. She was used to talking nonstop around her brother and it could be exhausting. It was nice to be around someone who didn't mind a little silence.

"Would you like some tea?" Zuko asked after a while and Katara nodded.

"Please tell me your uncle made that too," Katara said playfully.

"Actually, it is his special blend of tea leaves."

Katara grinned. "Then I can't wait to taste it."

Zuko headed into the kitchen as Katara got up and looked around the living space again.

She continued to marvel at the neatness and tidiness of his home, especially considering he had just moved in. Everything about his living space perfectly matched his personality. As she glanced at the coffee table books, she noticed a card with a picture sticking out of it. The photo was of a woman with long, black hair that was styled with two buns at the top of her head. She played a violin.

Katara momentarily wondered if she was a family member and thought back to their earlier conversation. Zuko refused to talk at all about his family and it made her wonder if there was something he was embarrassed about. She could definitely relate to that.

Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that maybe there was more to it. His refusal hadn't been lighthearted at all. As much as she told herself it was okay if he didn't want to talk about it, it still bothered her.

Sure, Zuko was quiet and thoughtful by nature. But, even with regular contact, she still had no clue if he had siblings or where his parents were. At what point would he feel comfortable enough or see her as important enough to him to open up?

Katara realized it felt even more out of balance since she had just talked about her mother's death. His response to her had been perfect, but the fact that he knew more about her than she did about him was uncomfortable.

Just then, he returned to the living room holding two steaming cups of tea and sat back down next to her, carefully lowering the cups.

"I added a little honey, but my uncle would yell at me about that if he knew. He believes tea should be enjoyed in it's pure form."

Katara nodded and smiled as she took a sip. Of course, it was the most flavorful tea she had tasted and she sighed happily. Then she lowered the cup and glanced at the photo on the coffee table.

"So, I happened to notice that card on the coffee table and I was wondering if the girl in the picture is a family member of yours."

Zuko followed her gaze to the picture and his face drained of all its color. He immediately snatched it up and stuffed it into the back pocket of his jeans.

"You weren't supposed to see that," he mumbled and she raised an eyebrow.

"Why not? Is she one of your exes or something?" Katara asked jokingly.

Zuko went even more pale, if that was possible, and Katara's mouth dropped open.

"She is! I was just playing around, but...Zuko, it's okay. You're allowed to have an ex-girlfriend. I mean, I'm surprised that you have a picture of her out on your table—"

"I know how it must look. I'm still cleaning up since the move. I could have sworn I got rid of all of her stuff, but I guess I missed something." His skin tone was now shifting from pallid to deep red.

He was obviously embarrassed to still have the photo and Katara could only guess that she had made it worse by teasing him.

"Hey, you don't have to explain yourself. I'm sorry I brought it up, but you do seem pretty upset about her."

Zuko swallowed audibly, his jaw clenching and unclenching.

"Don't be sorry. It's just that my history with her was rough and there are still some lingering effects."

Now it was time for Katara's face to lose its color. Was he saying what she thought he was saying? Her mouth had gone dry and she found it hard to speak.

"You still have feelings for her?" she managed to ask.

Zuko shook his head vehemently.

"Absolutely not!"

Katara felt slight relief but also noticed herself feeling more flustered as she struggled to understand what was going on. Could he possibly be any more vague?

"Okay, so what then? Why are you being so weird about her if there's nothing going on?"

Zuko sighed heavily, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his fingers.

"She was my girlfriend and she betrayed me. It has to do with my father," he attempted to clarify.

"Your father? What does your ex-girlfriend have to do with your father?"

This explanation was making less and less sense as he continued talking. And the whole betrayal thing sounded a little dramatic, even to her. But, she listened as he continued.

"I don't know how to explain it. She was working with my father and he—" Zuko suddenly stopped short and Katara felt her anger flare.

"What? He what?!"

Her nerves were fraying and she was burning through the last bit of patience she had left.

He paused and Katara sensed that he was on the brink of continuing. But, he shook his head instead. "Never mind. I don't want to talk about it."

Katara sighed in exasperation as she shook her head angrily.

"You have no idea how frustrating and unfair this feels, do you?" she said hotly.

She hadn't wanted her words to come out sounding so harsh, but she had passed the breaking point now.

He had a look of slight surprise on his face as he stared back at her.

"What do you mean?"

"You keep shutting down on me. You know so much about me and I hardly know anything about you. It's not fair.

Zuko folded his arms across his chest. It was clear to her that he had now shifted into defense mode.

"I didn't ask you to tell me those things. You can't hold it against me if I'm not as chatty as you."

Katara's jaw clenched tightly as her eyes narrowed.

"So, me telling you about my family and losing my mother is being _chatty_?"

The familiar burning sensation came to her eyelids and she willed away the tears that threatened. No way was she giving him the satisfaction of seeing how much that had hurt.

Zuko, apparently realizing his mistake, held his hands up in surrender.

"No, Katara, please. I didn't mean it that way. It came out wrong," he pleaded.

"Fine, whatever. The bigger issue is the fact you think it's okay to just not talk to me about things. How else are we supposed to get to know each other and get closer? I thought we could be…"

She let the words fall away and they hung unsaid in the air between them.

After a few tense moments, Zuko spoke quietly.

"I think we want the same thing."

Katara locked eyes with him, anger and sadness coursing through her.

"How are we supposed to get there if you don't trust me the way I've trusted you?"

Zuko looked away helplessly and Katara nodded quietly. He didn't trust her and she had given him no reason not to. Maybe he was finally realizing the truth being revealed in his behavior, but she was also seeing the reality for herself.

He might be comfortable continuing this charade with that kind of inner conflict, but she wasn't.

"I think I need to go."

She quickly got to her feet and headed toward the door, snatching up her purse on the way.

"Katara, you know I don't want you going out there alone at night."

"I don't care! I'm not staying here," she snapped, fishing for her keys.

When she finally found them, she yanked at the front doorknob and it didn't budge. Frustrated, she remembered he had locked the door when she first arrived. She quickly flipped the lock and then grabbed the knob again.

Before she could turn it, Zuko grabbed her hand.

"I don't want you to leave like this. I don't want you to leave at all."

His voice had a desperate quality and Katara felt her resolve on the edge of breaking. It would be so easy to just release the door handle and let him sweep her into his arms again. He would apologize and give her one of his mind-numbing kisses. Eventually, the voice in her head warning her to be careful would be completely drowned out.

And she would willingly give in. If he knew the power he had over her in that moment, he would have continued where he left off earlier. She already knew that she would let him keep on kissing her, caressing her; invading her space until she begged him to have his way with her.

But, she had to stand her ground. This was how she kept getting hurt and she would be damned if she let herself repeat the mistakes of her past relationships, particularly her last one. She refused to continue to be that person.

"No. I need to go," she said flatly.

She was proud of herself in a small way for not giving in to her desires but the pain associated with that decision was overwhelming.

Something about her tone must have convinced him there was nothing he could say to change her mind. He sighed, released her hand, and stepped away. She immediately yanked the door open and shut it firmly behind her, willing herself not to look back. Tears now stood in her eyes, but she was not ready to let them fall yet.

Knowing him, he would be watching her as she got into her car and would keep an eye on her until she was driving away. She jumped into the car while automatically locking the doors, started it up, and backed away as quickly as she could.

When she turned the corner and was out of view of his house, she felt safe letting the tears resurface. She came to a stop sign, shifted the car into park, and leaned her head against the steering wheel. Tears slid freely down her cheeks as she let herself release a small portion of the emotion she had been keeping hidden from him.

How could they have already had an argument like this? They hadn't even started dating. What did that mean for their future? At this point, it was hard for her to even see one for them.

If he never learned to open up to her, she knew things wouldn't work out. She had already experienced how quickly a relationship could fall apart from a lack of equal communication. It was one of many mistakes she was unwilling to make again.

That realization cut her to her core because being with him was what she wanted more than anything. She was willing to admit that now.

After a few moments, she felt like she had enough control of herself to drive. She released a shuddering breath, attempting to reign in her strong sense of disappointment. Then, she shook her head as she continued the lonely drive home.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey! Ready for more? I hope so!**

**Like a broken record, I must say that I don't own these characters. I'm not creative enough to envision such intricate character development and interesting personalities. But, I'm happy to make up stories about them! :) **

**Okay, on with the story!**

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><p>Katara stood in the mirror gazing at her reflection and frowned.<p>

It wasn't that she was unhappy with her overall look. She had to admit she looked great in her party outfit. Suki had helped her select a navy blue mini dress with a black lace overlay and black strappy heels to match. The sleeveless dress was fitted up top and flared out at the waist, stopping at mid thigh.

It was much shorter than anything she would select on her own, but Suki had insisted that Zuko would drool if he saw her wearing it. Suki had also insisted on doing her make up and curling her flowing locks into loose ringlets.

Which, of course, was the main reason for Katara's sour facial expression. All of this work to impress him and now they weren't even speaking to each other.

Last night was supposed to be a special night; maybe even the start of a new romance. Instead, it had ended early with an argument she had started and led to them both actively avoiding each other.

After unceremoniously storming out of his house, she had driven home so angry she didn't even send him the obligatory 'I made it home safely' text message.

Katara distinctly remembered how upset she had been when she arrived home. Suki had tried to talk to her, but Katara refused to say anything. She knew she must have looked a mess, with her red eyes and tears staining her face.

She had assured Suki she was physically okay, but wouldn't say anymore about it. Suki left her alone after that but made her promise to talk to her about it when she was up to it. Katara had agreed and then barricaded herself in her room.

Once she was safely locked away and alone, she had cried until her head hurt and her face was puffy. She was mad at herself for starting the argument but also angry at him for giving her a reason to argue in the first place. They weren't already supposed to be having these kinds of problems, were they?

Now, she had to put on a brave face and be in the same room as him for three hours. She wasn't sure if she could do it, but hoped having Aang there would help distract her. Zuko would need to keep his distance from her as well. She was almost certain to start bawling in front of him if he so much as touched her or said any type of greeting.

When she was ready to go, Katara said goodbye to her roommate. Suki had intercepted her on her way to grab her coat and wrapped her up in a hug. She didn't say anything about Zuko or about last night.

She simply looked her in the eye and said, "Everything's going to be okay. You look amazing, so just have fun tonight."

Katara felt tears spring up, but she blinked them back and nodded.

"Thanks," she replied quietly and Suki smiled at her.

Katara grabbed the rest of her things and headed to the banquet hall.

~o0o~

Katara arrived at the wrap party right on time and spotted Ty Lee as she walked in.

"Katara, you look gorgeous!" she exclaimed fingering the hem of her dress.

"Thanks."

Ty Lee slightly narrowed her eyes and frowned. "Everything ok?"

Katara forced a smile and nodded. "I'm fine. Just a little tired. You know how I get after a show."

Ty Lee nodded uncertainly but left the matter alone.

As soon as she had walked away, Katara looked around. Several dancers were already there and she waved to them, but the one she was looking for hadn't arrived yet.

Just as she was about to give up and retreat to the food table, someone came up behind her and slipped an arm around her shoulders.

"Hey, looking for me?"

Katara nearly jumped out of her skin and shoved his shoulder as he laughed.

"Aang, don't do that! You almost got slapped," she said, trying to sound angry.

The twinkle in Aang's eye showed he knew she had no intention of hitting him. Instead he brought her toward his chest in a firm hug.

"How are you holding up?" he asked quietly into her ear and she sighed.

News obviously traveled fast among her friends.

"Not great but better than I thought," was her reply.

Aang nodded then pulled her away from him, locking eyes with her.

"Well, you look great! So, let's have a good time tonight. Just you and me, like old times."

"Toph didn't come with you?"

Aang rolled his eyes.

"You know she wouldn't be caught dead at one of these things. I got Sokka and Suki to keep her company but that only bought me a few hours. I'll probably need to leave a little early to rescue her."

"That's fine with me. I'll just leave when you do." Katara said and Aang nodded.

"Alright, let's do this."

The pair began to work the room, interacting with fellow dancers as well as other people who had been a part of the production. They spent the first hour and a half eating, talking, and laughing at some of the photos taken of the rehearsals, behind the scenes, and of the show itself.

Every time she saw a picture of Zuko with other people or with her, she felt a sharp pang. However, she would fight the feeling off and continue chatting and laughing with Aang and the others. He was always good for lightening up her bad moods and making her smile, so he was the perfect person to have around when she felt down.

To her dismay, Katara noticed when Zuko arrived at the party. She glanced at him long enough to see the fitted button-down dress shirt he wore in a dark shade of burgundy. He wore no tie and had left the top few buttons of the shirt undone.

The muscular physique she already knew he had was accentuated just enough to give her imagination a starting point. He also had on smartly pressed gray slacks. His dark brown hair which was usually tousled messily on top of his head was neatly slicked back.

He looked drop-dead gorgeous and she wasn't the only one who noticed how well he cleaned up. Many of the other dancers were casting furtive glances in his direction, hoping to make eye contact. She, on the other hand, was doing her best to avoid looking his way.

It was too soon to discuss what happened last night. She didn't even have any idea what to say to him about it. Plus, if she kept staring at him, she would just focus on his sex-appeal and eventually find herself back where they started.

As much fun as their first make out session had been, that wasn't what either of them needed right now. Before long, she excused herself to use the restroom. When she was on her way back to the banquet hall, she heard her name.

"Katara!"

That voice. It sounded familiar but there was no way it could be…

"Hey! Can't ya hear?"

She turned around and her eyes widened in surprise.

"Jet?! Is that you?"

"Course it's me! Damn, you look hot. Come 'ere."

His speech was slurred and Katara frowned in disapproval. Seeing her ex-boyfriend here was bad enough. Seeing him intoxicated made things even worse. Katara made no move to get closer. Instead she looked around to see where she could go.

In his current state, going to the banquet room was out of the question. The last thing she needed was for him to embarrass her by making a scene in front of everyone. What to do...she needed to think of something.

"You've been drinking," she stated.

He walked closer and smiled crookedly as he attempted to slide a hand onto her waist.

"Guilty," he said and then started chuckling. Katara shoved his hand away and glared at him.

"What the hell are you doing here, Jet? How did you even know where I'd be?"

"Don't worry 'bout that. Ain't you happy to see me?"

"As a matter of fact, no. I'm not. You disappeared over a year ago with no explanation. Yet you think I'm just going to be here with open arms and welcome you back like nothing happened?"

Katara felt her anger boiling over and some of the playfulness left Jet's expression.

"Plus, you're following me around now? That's just creepy. And also illegal!" she continued.

"Don't be like that, Katara. You know I'll always love you. I just need to talk to you. " His face was dangerously close to hers and the liquor on his breath nearly overpowered her. She cringed and shoved him backward.

"Give it a rest. What you need to do is call a cab and get out of here."

"No. I came here for you. Don't you see that?" He attempted to grab her again and she pulled away from him more forcefully. His grip that time had been harsh and she was starting to worry he would make a scene anyway.

"I know I screwed up, but I miss you. Jus' listen to me."

"Please don't do this. I've already moved on. And you know I can't deal with you when you're drunk. "

Jet got more frustrated as the conversation continued.

"Come on! I'm tryin' to make it right. "

"Don't. It doesn't matter anymore. Please, just go." Katara could feel her emotions rising.

"But you don't understand. You're _my_ girl!" he insisted. His arms were flailing like a child throwing a temper tantrum. To her, that's exactly what he was.

"I'm not your girl anymore so leave me alone!" Katara tried to hide the nervousness in her voice but the tell-tale waver was there. He sounded way too possessive and she wasn't comfortable at all. She needed to get away from him. And fast. She looked around again but saw no immediate way out.

"I get it." His expression darkened. "You think you're too good for me," he said flatly.

"Don't put words in my mouth. Just, move so I can go." Katara said. She attempted to push her way around him but he blocked her path.

Now she could clearly see that something was off about him and a pit formed in her stomach. Even for being drunk, he was acting strangely. Maybe he had finally gone over the deep end. She certainly didn't want to be there to see the fall.

The look in his eye got even more intense and disturbing, so much so that Katara took a step backward.

"Jet...what's wrong with you?"

He gripped her wrist—hard—and she winced from the pain that radiated to her fingers. Then he yanked her toward him. She tried to free her arm but he clenched even harder.

"I know you're tryin' to replace me. I can't let that happen."

Katara panicked, realizing she was trapped.

"That hurts! Stop it!"

Suddenly, she heard footsteps running toward her. In a matter of seconds, she was free and Zuko stood between her and Jet.

"Katara, are you okay?"

He didn't look at her when he asked his question but kept his eyes trained on Jet. He reminded her of a snake ready to pounce on its prey.

She gingerly rubbed her wrist and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Katara had to admit she was more than a little relieved Zuko had shown up when he did. Jet seemed unhinged and he had really scared her.

Zuko continued to glare at Jet. "I suggest you leave."

"What'd you jus' say to me?"

"Leave!" His command came out as a menacing growl and Katara was surprised by the level of his anger.

Jet took an unsteady step toward Zuko. "You think you can jus' steal her from me? I won't let you."

Zuko squared his shoulders and his arms went to his sides. His fists were clenched tightly and Katara placed a gentle hand on his back.

"Zuko, it's okay. Just let it go," she said, hoping to prevent the altercation she saw brewing.

His body language was screaming he wanted nothing more than to haul off on Jet, but her ex was too drunk and pig-headed to notice.

"Ya hear that? She's mine. She wants me to stay so _you_ leave! "

Jet attempted to push his way past Zuko toward Katara but didn't get very far. The moment he began to advance, Zuko backed up deliberately. He placed a protective arm across Katara's chest, gently easing her a safe distance away.

This enraged Jet.

"Get your hands off her! She belongs to me!" he bellowed. Then he shoved Zuko as hard as he could. Zuko didn't move an inch and Jet went in again, this time with his fist.

"Jet, stop it! " Katara called but it was too late.

Zuko easily dodged the punch. He threw one of his own.

It connected squarely with Jet's nose. He yelped. Then he toppled to the ground clutching his face. Katara immediately grabbed Zuko. She pulled him backward. Her hope was to prevent him from continuing to attack Jet like he clearly wanted to.

Meanwhile, the shouting had finally attracted others attending the party and a few of the guys ran out to assist.

Jet was bleeding badly. He yelled at Zuko from his prone position on the floor.

"Bastard! You broke my nose! I'll kill you! "

Aang had run out with the others and he came over to Zuko and Katara. As soon as he saw Jet his eyes narrowed.

"What's _he_ doing here?" He took in the scene and looked at Katara. "What happened? What did he do? "

"This," Zuko said grimly, holding up Katara's arm to show him the bruises beginning to form on her wrist. The black and purple splotches stood out starkly against her caramel skin.

Aang's face turned a dark shade of red and he whipped around to face Jet. "I usually don't condone fighting, but you're lucky all you got was a broken nose, you coward," he spat out. Then he turned back to the pair. "You guys should take a breather. We'll deal with this filth."

Katara raised an eyebrow at Aang's language. He only spoke that way when he was very angry. Next she turned to Zuko who was still fuming.

He was so tense he looked like he would snap in half at any moment. Katara placed a hand on his arm and gently led him down the hallway to a vacant room. Once they were completely alone, Zuko gazed into Katara's eyes.

"Are you sure you're okay? Did he do anything else to you?" Anger flashed in his eyes and Katara suspected he wanted any excuse to continue to beat Jet to a pulp.

"I really _am_ fine. This will feel better in a few days," she said absently rubbing her wrist. Zuko tenderly took her wrist into his hand as he examined the damage and it seemed to renew his anger.

"I can't believe he did this to you. I should have gotten there sooner." he said, mostly to himself. Then he eyed her again. "I'm guessing you used to date that guy. Has he ever done anything like this to you before?"

A bitter smile appeared on her face. He had easily figured out what Jet was to her. She didn't know if she should be relieved or embarrassed, so she settled for both.

"Never. He always had a bit of a temper, but it was never directed toward me. He's also had problems holding his liquor in the past, but he tried to stop drinking when we were together."

Zuko shook his head. "Looks like ending things with him was the best thing you could have done."

Katara looked down at her lap as she quietly clarified, "Actually, he broke up with me."

She froze, wondering why on Earth she had told him that. It wasn't like he would have ever found out what really happened. Thanks to her overshare, he knew now.

Zuko raised both eyebrows. "What?"

Katara figured now that she'd opened her big mouth about it, she may as well keep going.

"Yeah. I stupidly wanted to keep trying to fix him and save him. You should have seen how Aang, Sokka, and Suki would lay into me about staying with him. What can I say? I held out hope he would change."

He nodded. "Sounds like something you would do."

She shook her head in frustration. It was nice for him that he had the luxury of being able to say that about her. She, on the other hand, would probably never be able to utter those words about him since everything surrounding him was such a damn secret.

Sighing in defeat, she pressed on. There was no point in stopping now.

"One day, he just left. No explanation, nothing. It really got to me. I promised never to fall into that trap again." After a moment, she chuckled darkly.

"Well, here I am again, telling you my entire life story. I guess you were right; I am more chatty than you are."

She turned to leave and Zuko stopped her.

"Katara, hold on. I know you want me to open up more, and I want to. It's not something I can do overnight. But from now on I'm going to try my best."

Katara nodded. He was standing very close to her now. So close she could feel his heart pounding. Her back was pressed up against his chest and he had a hand gently cupping her shoulder. She sensed he was hesitant to touch her but all she wanted was more contact. His scent was enveloping her again, and this time she felt herself being swept away by it. The irritation she was feeling earlier when talking to him about her previous relationship seemed to be fading, too.

She was feeling vulnerable after her encounter with Jet and Zuko had had been the one to swoop in and rescue her. The protective barrier she had built up since their argument had already started to break down throughout the evening. Now it was being held together by a thin thread. She had to act quickly before it completely crumbled.

"I appreciate you saying that. I just wish it was enough. Seeing Jet tonight reminded me I have a knack for picking men who are wrong for me."

She turned toward him, her eyes traveling upward to meet his, and this time she couldn't hide the emotion.

"Zuko, you're amazing. You were there for me tonight and I'm so grateful to you for that. I'm just not sure this, whatever we have going on between us, is going to work."

With that, Katara leaned over and kissed his cheek. It was chaste and almost felt like a goodbye gesture. Then she headed toward the door.

As much as it ripped her apart to do this, it was what seemed necessary. He didn't try to stop her this time and she was relieved. If he touched her again at this point, there was no doubt in her mind she would completely break down and give in to him.

She returned to the hallway and found Jet gone. Most of the party goers were back in the banquet hall. Aang and Ty Lee both walked up to her then, eyeing her with concern. Aang wrapped a protective arm around her and she flashed a fake smile in an attempt to allay their fears. Then she asked,

"Where is he?"

"Hotel security escorted him downstairs and to their offices where they're holding him. They've called the police and they should be arriving soon if they're not already here. He has prior offenses related to being drunk and disorderly, so he may actually be facing some serious problems," Ty Lee explained.

"They're going to need to get a statement from you and I know they'll ask if you want to press charges for the assault," Aang added. "What do you want to do?"

Katara sighed. "I'm going to tell them exactly what happened and I'm going to do what's necessary to protect myself."

Ty Lee and Aang nodded. Then Aang gave her a gentle squeeze.

"I'll go with you to talk to the cops and take you home after. I already called Sokka and he was ready to drive up here. I insisted that he didn't, but I'm almost certain he'll be at your place when we get there."

"I figured as much."

Ty Lee then looked around behind her and asked, "Where's Zuko? I thought he was with you."

"He's still back there. I'm sure he's coming soon, though."

Katara chose not to say anymore about it and neither Aang nor Ty Lee pressed her.

"The police will need his statement as well. I'll hang around here until he comes out and make sure he knows."

Katara smiled gratefully. "Thank you so much. I'm sorry for all the trouble."

Ty Lee gave her a firm hug.

"You didn't do anything wrong, so don't apologize. It's that jerk downstairs who's the problem."

Katara nodded. Then she turned to Aang. "Let's go downstairs. I want to make sure I give my statement and get out of here. I've had more than enough excitement for one night."

Aang nodded and waved to Ty Lee as he walked with her toward the elevator. She was feeling emotionally and physically drained. Aang was quiet, but kept a reassuring hand on her shoulder, which was a relief.

Once they were downstairs, she spoke with the police. They took her report and gave her the paperwork to file a restraining order. Then she and Aang left the hotel and headed back home to her apartment.

The drive home was silent. Katara could sense Aang's concern and knew he was casting worried glances at her from the driver's seat. Normally she would do her best to set him at ease but she didn't have the strength to do that tonight.

Her mind was overrun with thoughts of Jet and the scary way he had tried to dominate her. She also kept picturing Zuko and the look of rage he had shown when confronting Jet. But, most of all, she saw the hurt in his eyes when she had given him that speech and left. It was one of the hardest things she had to do in her life and all she was left with was a numb feeling inside.

Maybe she had made a mistake. Or, maybe she was preventing the inevitable breakdown their relationship would have had. Right now it was easier to just pretend to feel nothing.

At some point, tears must have appeared on her cheeks because she was vaguely aware that Aang had rested his free hand on top of hers. From a distance, she heard him telling her not to cry and that everything would be alright.

But, Katara knew the truth. She wouldn't be alright until this aching feeling she was trying to hide from was gone.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: And we're back with another chapter! **

**I **_**still **_**don't own any of these characters. That's clear to everyone by now, right?**

**Enjoy and let me know what you think! :)**

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><p>Zuko shook his head as he sat in the silent hotel ballroom. He was still reeling from everything that had just happened at the wrap party. Had someone told him he would end up punching out Katara's ex-boyfriend for getting rough with her, he would have laughed in that person's face. Yet, here he was.<p>

The events of the night replayed mercilessly in his head.

_He was purposely avoiding her due to their argument. However, because he couldn't help himself, he still managed to get in small glances and paid attention to where she was in the room._

_She spent most of the night with Aang. If he was being honest with himself, he felt slightly jealous Aang got to be so close to her. At the same time, he was also happy to know she had someone next to her making her smile and enjoy herself._

_She looked stunning. Seeing her with her hair spilling down her back and wearing that short dress...the combination was almost too much. His desire to feel those soft strands between his fingers and caress her skin was overwhelming. The constant spikes in his body temperature were proof of that. _

_And her legs looked so tantalizing in those black heels. They were firm and toned from years of honing her craft, yet soft and feminine at the same time. He suspected they would feel as smooth as silk if he were to touch them. He wanted so badly to test out his theory._

He shook his head absently, as if trying to bring himself back from the constant loop of memories. He had to focus on what was happening now.

Katara had just left the room, but not before kissing his cheek as if it was the last time she would see him. That was not something he was going to be able to tolerate and he couldn't pretend like it hadn't happened.

Why didn't he just stop her? He could have intercepted her again and then insisted she stay. He knew he could take her mind off of things and make her feel better. He would do anything to bring back her smile.

Then he remembered why he'd hesitated. She had already had her personal space infringed upon by a man. That man had put his hands on her.

_The moment that douche had grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward him, Zuko felt something inside of him snap. _

_Whether it was the selfish, hungry look in the guy's eyes or the fear that flashed across Katara's expression that made him lose it, he couldn't tell. Thank God he looked up at the doorway when he did. _

_In an instant, he saw red and bolted out of the room. At this point he didn't care if the entire hotel saw him sprinting down the hall. He just knew he needed to get to her before something bad happened._

_He probably should have been concerned that he was willing to risk an assault and battery charge over her. He didn't even know the guy and it appeared no one else in the room noticed what was going on between them._

_But he had noticed. And it was enough for him to know she was, without question, worth the risk._

Zuko sighed. He had let himself drift off again. He had to get back to the point...why he had let the object of his affection just walk away from him.

The truth of the matter was that he had let her go because the last thing he wanted to do was trigger her. Even if his intentions for stopping her seemed justified, it still didn't feel right. She was a grown woman who could make her own choices.

Unfortunately, she seemed to be choosing a path which was leading her away from him. Now he had to deal with the emptiness he felt. It was pretty familiar but this time seemed unbearable. She was gone. What was he supposed to do now?

He whipped out his cell phone, selected the contact he needed, and made the call. He didn't care that he was still sitting in the same spot she had left him or that it was nearly 11:30 at night. He needed some kind of human connection.

The phone was answered on the third ring.

"Zuko?"

He sighed in relief, resting his head against the wall. "Uncle."

"What's wrong, nephew? It's late and you sound upset."

Zuko hesitated before continuing.

"It's Katara."

"What happened? Is she okay? I thought you guys were going to have a nice dinner yesterday and then go to your party today."

Zuko explained what happened between them over the last 48 hours. When he finished, his uncle said nothing. In that tiny space of time, Zuko could picture the man's thoughtful look.

"That's a lot to have happen in two days. Are you okay?"

"I don't know. I might get charged for hitting him and it might be all over the news in an hour but I don't care. I just needed to keep her safe."

"And you're sure she's alright?"

Zuko shook his head.

"She keeps saying she is but how could she be? Between me and her ex, no wonder she wants nothing to do with men. I should just spare her the trouble."

"Don't talk that way. You're not like this Jet you told me about."

"Are you sure about that? Because, I can't even tell her about Mai or my family. I can't open up to her no matter how hard I try. Just because I don't get violent with her doesn't mean I'm not hurting her."

"But, Mai hurt you. Did you ever stop and think that you shut down because you're just as scared of repeating your past as she is?"

Zuko paused. Maybe he was viewing Katara as another version of Mai. Of course they were nothing alike, but his feelings for both were pretty similar. Although, his feelings toward Katara were much more intense.

Sure he and Mai had known each other as kids, but he had still moved fast with her. Not only had they already made love by this time in their relationship, but he also fell for her quickly once she initially showed interest.

Even though he and Katara had been taking the physical part more slowly, he had definitely fallen for her much faster and harder.

In general, he really wasn't all that great when it came to women. His music had always been the most important thing to him. For many years of his life, he had been alone. The piano had been his only companion. As a young boy and even as an awkward teen, he could always depend on his instrument to be there for him.

Suddenly, he was thrust out of his childhood and forced to become an adult. He had matured and filled out physically, thanks to time and his hobby; martial arts. Women were now interested in him and not at all shy about showing it. And, he was expected to magically know how to talk with them; how to be with them. It was absurd.

Being a part of his family wasn't beneficial to relationships either. His father's criminal activities led to constant threats to his safety. One such threat had come close to actually ending his life and he had the permanent reminder on his face to prove it.

Not to mention he could count all the friends he'd ever made on one hand. What with all the constant moving and protective custody orders, how was a young boy to have any semblance of a social life? It was a wonder he was still managing to function as an adult with some semblance of sanity.

"Zuko, you still there?" His uncle's voice jarred him from his thoughts.

"Sorry, Uncle. I was just thinking. But, I don't know...maybe she's right. Maybe this is going too fast. We both don't need to be repeating our mistakes."

"What are you saying?"

"I think it might be best for me to let her go."

"Do you really want to do that?"

Zuko opened his mouth to respond but his uncle continued before he could speak.

"Don't give me what you believe to be the right answer. Just tell me how you _feel_. Do you really want to let her go?"

"No!" he answered firmly and without hesitation. Then he added more gently, "Never."

Zuko could hear his uncle smiling through the phone. "So, stop making her into another version of your ex-girlfriend. Don't give yourself any excuses."

Zuko sat upright, thinking hard about what he was hearing.

Was he making her into something scary so he could avoid getting close to her? It was something he'd seen played out in every chick flick he'd ever had to suffer through, but the idea he was actually doing it in real life was just silly.

Then again, here he was alone in a hotel ballroom, calling his uncle late at night, and basically confessing his feelings for this woman. He had also just punched someone in the face to protect her. Maybe it wasn't that silly after all.

"I don't know if I can fix this. She left here like she never wants to see me again. And now that the show's over, she doesn't have to."

"She just needs some time. You both do. Clear your head and then figure out the best path."

Zuko nodded.

"I'm sorry I called you this late. I just...didn't know what else to do."

"I'm glad you called. That's what I'm here for. But I am an old man and I need sleep. We'll talk tomorrow, okay? Take good care of yourself, nephew."

"I will. Good night, Uncle."

Zuko hung up the phone and then slipped it back into his pocket. He thought of Katara and whether or not she was okay but reminded himself that Aang would make sure she got home safely. He continued to think about what his uncle had said as he turned to leave.

He knew he wanted to be with Katara, but couldn't see how it was possible. The way she had left made him think he had ruined any chance to make things right with her. But, there had to be an answer; something he could do to convince her to take a chance on him.

No matter how scared or hurt he already was, he had to try.

~o0o~

Zuko checked his watch one more time and looked over at the glass doors of the coffee shop. He was hoping this meeting he had set up wasn't a mistake.

Even though he didn't want it to, his mind found its way back to her last words to him.

It was hard to hear her say she wasn't sure about their future, but he understood where she was coming from. Seeing someone like her degenerate ex-boyfriend again and having him do what he did to her had to be hard. It was basically like having your past failures thrown in your face, and Zuko knew all too well what that felt like.

He knew his admission about his desire to be more open must have been nice to hear, but it also probably sounded like an empty promise. He wasn't sure how to push through and just do it already. Other people talked openly about themselves all the time so why was it such an elusive thing for him?

That's when he realized he would need a little extra help. Turned out, his feelings for her were strong enough to make him swallow his pride and get assistance from the one person who knew her best.

"Hey. You just plan to stare into space all afternoon?"

Zuko was drawn out of his thoughts and looked up into a set of familiar blue eyes. His stomach knotted up at the painful reminder but he did his best to suppress his reaction. He stood while offering his hand.

"Sokka."

"Zuko," he replied tersely, shaking his hand.

The two men sat down across from each other—Zuko with his jasmine tea and Sokka with his soft drink—and were silent.

Finally, Sokka spoke up.

"I'm still not sure how I feel about you. But I did want to thank you for standing up for my sister last night."

Zuko sighed in relief as Sokka continued.

"I can't promise that I wouldn't finish the job if I saw that asshole in the street, but it sounds like you pounded him hard enough for all of us."

Zuko shrugged.

"I would rather have not been in that situation. But, I just…" he trailed off.

"Couldn't help it. I know. I get the same feeling when it comes to her. Like anyone looking to hurt her would live to regret it."

The two men nodded, a silent understanding passing between them.

"They didn't lock you up after what happened last night? " Sokka quipped.

Zuko shook his head, smirking.

"He didn't press charges. Obviously I can't make punching other people a habit, but I'm okay for now."

Sokka nodded and then eyed him curiously.

"So, I take it you're not here to ask me for my sister's hand in marriage."

Zuko snorted. "Yeah, sure. I'll get right on that as soon as I can get her to talk to me again."

"I see. You're getting the famous Katara cold shoulder, huh?"

Zuko sighed and stared down at his drink before he nodded. "I guess I am. I tried calling her and texting her but she doesn't respond. I want to give her space but I need to apologize to her."

A look of understanding crossed Sokka's face.

"Right. I heard you guys had a pretty rough fight after the show. Suki said Katara was pretty upset; crying and everything."

He locked eyes with Zuko.

"I hate to assume, but my automatic reaction was that I might have to deal with another guy who hurt her."

Zuko slowly nodded, maintaining eye contact.

"I know I hurt her, but I didn't mean to."

Sokka remained silent while Zuko continued. "I didn't know she was that upset. I wasn't trying to make her cry."

Zuko looked away after that comment and he could feel the sweat trickling down his back. This was madness! There had to be a way for him to fix this.

He looked back up at his one connection to Katara and said,

"What do I do?"

Sokka sighed heavily, lowering his drink onto the table. "I may not be the best person to ask. She won't talk to me, either."

Zuko was taken aback. "But, you're her brother."

Sokka raised an eyebrow. "Do you have a little sister?"

"Well, yeah."

"Does she talk to you about everything?"

Zuko eyed the tabletop.

"No. In fact, I haven't seen or heard from her in years."

Sokka cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"My point is, yes we're close and yes I force her to tell me things sometimes. But, she definitely doesn't tell me everything. When she's really hurting, she shuts down."

"Just like I do…" Zuko mused aloud. "So, how do you get her out of that?"

Sokka chuckled. "There's no 'getting her out of it.' She usually needs time to think. But…"

"But, what?"

Sokka sighed again, shrugging.

"Honestly, I don't know what she needs now. I've never seen her this down and detached since...well, since our mom died."

Zuko felt like he was going to be sick. The idea he had caused her so much emotional pain was hard to accept. The fact she had regressed so far because of his carelessness was unthinkable.

"This is all my fault," he said in a barely audible whisper.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. Katara had you built up in her mind as this perfect person before she even met you." Sokka sat back in his seat. "There was no way you were ever going to live up to that. I told her you were probably just a regular guy with regular problems but would she listen to me? No."

Sokka shook his head but Zuko was thinking hard. After a few minutes he sighed.

"So what's your solution? I need to know what to do."

Sokka paused for a moment, as if deciding whether or not to respond.

"Honestly, if you really care about her like you say, you'll figure it out."

Zuko frowned.

"That's...not a good answer."

"Sorry, man. It's all I got. But, there is one thing you've got going for you."

Zuko looked at him half-heartedly. "Yeah? And what's that?"

"Whether it's anger or sadness, at least you're getting some kind of emotion out of her. It means she cares." Sokka punctuated the statement with a long sip of his drink and smiled.

"That's it? That's your positive spin?"

"It's true. I know it's not much but when it comes to stuff like this, you've gotta take what you can get."

Zuko grimaced before he took a long sip of his tea. He couldn't argue with that logic.

"I guess that's it then." Zuko looked despondently down at the table top. Maybe his apology would have to wait until Katara was ready to talk to him. Whether he liked it or not, she was forcing him to give her space.

He finished the last of his drink and got to his feet. Sokka followed suit.

"I really appreciate you meeting with me today." Zuko offered his hand again and this time Sokka's response was a more hearty shake.

"No problem. Look, I wish I could help more but my sister is just...weird. You sure you want to deal with all of this for her?"

Zuko chuckled sadly.

"I'm positive."

"Good answer."

The two men nodded to each other and then left the cafe.

Zuko sighed as he headed to his car. As much as he hated the empty feeling surfacing inside, he would have to push Katara to the back of his mind for now. He had to find a way to give her time and space without driving himself insane.

But, more importantly, he was going to have to deal with this on his own.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hey! How are you all feeling about the story so far? Feel free to let me know. **

**Thank you to those who are continuing to read and to those who have followed, faved, or reviewed. I truly appreciate it! **

**Characters are not mine. Got it? Good. **

**Enjoy! :)**

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><p>Katara sighed as she stuck her front door key in the lock and let herself into the apartment. She had just completed a big audition and was tired but anxious about how she'd done. Ty Lee had been there to support her and told her she looked amazing, but Katara still didn't have her normal level of confidence.<p>

For the past five years of her dancing career, Aang had always been there. And now he wasn't. When she first approached him about auditioning together for this important show, he had clearly been uncomfortable and wouldn't confirm anything with her. After a few days of dealing with him evading the conversation, she figured out he wasn't planning to audition.

Katara would be lying to herself if she said it hadn't hurt, but he must have been looking for a different opportunity. They had never talked about it so she was determined to get to the bottom of things. Now that she thought about it, he had been generally avoiding her lately which was completely unlike him.

Thankfully he had agreed to come over that evening and she planned to hash everything out then.

Katara jumped into the shower to get ready before he arrived. As she passed by the desk in her room, she caught sight of a thank you card. Zuko had given it to her during their first and only performance together.

She always felt a painful stab in her chest whenever she saw the red flowers on the front and the curved scrawl of his handwriting, yet she couldn't bring herself to get rid of it or hide it away.

Katara realized now that asking him to change so much had been a bit premature. She saw it as something simple but it was a big deal to him. She understood that now and hoped he was okay. Still, she felt like she needed some space and time away from him.

It had been months since he had tried to contact her and she couldn't deny that she missed him. Katara heaved another sigh and finished preparations for her friend's visit.

Hours later, Aang had finally shown up at her place. The moment she saw him, she grinned and gave him a hug. It had been two weeks since they last saw each other.

"Long time no see, stranger." Katara said and Aang smiled.

"I'm sorry. I've been busy." he replied.

Katara nodded as they both headed to the couch.

"So, how are things going? I really wish you could have auditioned with me. It was weird not having you there."

Aang looked down at his lap, his fists clenching. "Yeah. So I was… I wanted to talk to you about that."

"Well, what's up?" asked Katara. The nervousness crept in. He was acting so unlike himself it was disconcerting.

"Um, the truth is...I'm leaving."

Katara was too stunned to speak.

"Toph and I talked about our long distance relationship. We both agreed we can't keep doing this. Since she's pretty locked in with school in Europe, we talked to her parents. All of us decided it would be best for me to go be with her there."

"Aang," Katara breathed. She couldn't come up with any other words.

"I know this is a lot to take in, but it's our best option. I can dance pretty much anywhere. Plus I've done my research and the choreography scene over there is pretty cutting edge. You know I've always wanted to do that."

Katara's eyes welled up with tears. This all felt so sudden. As much as she would miss her friend, she couldn't help but want to jump up and down. What a great opportunity!

"This is great news! I'm so happy for you." She drew him into a strong hug.

He returned the hug hesitantly. "I thought you'd be mad at me," Aang said with a quizzical expression on his face.

"Why would I be angry?"

Aang looked away. "Because I'm leaving you here. We're not going to be able to dance together like we agreed. I'm breaking my promise to you."

Katara smiled sadly. "That was years ago. We were just kids. We didn't know how our lives would turn out. I just want you to be happy."

Her voice faltered at the end of her statement and Aang looked up at her sharply. Katara cast her eyes downward, not wanting him to see how emotional she was becoming.

"I'm going to miss you so much," she said quietly.

A pained expression crossed his face.

"Yeah, this is going to be hard."

Katara realized that they had somehow ended up being sad over such wonderful news.

"Hey! You're not allowed to be depressed about the fact that you're finally going to be with the love of your life. And, you're going to be living in Europe! That's amazing!"

Katara grinned and she instantly saw Aang's face brighten.

"I am really excited!" Aang said.

"You should be. But there's one thing we have to make sure we do before you guys leave."

"What's that?"

"What do you say we have a huge going away party? We'll invite our friends, fellow dancers, family. It will be your send off bash. What do you think?"

Aang nodded his smile widening. "That's a great idea!"

"When do you guys leave?"

Aang thought for a second. "We're going to be here until Toph's fall term starts. That gives us about two months."

Katara nodded, pulling out a pad and paper.

"That's plenty of time. I'll take care of everything."

"Thank you, Katara."

"You're like my brother, Aang. There's no way I'd let you sneak off to Europe without saying a proper goodbye."

Aang blushed, his grin widening.

Katara smiled back. The next few hours were spent getting the details of the party down on paper. She wanted to make sure they had a nice time before her best friend made such a life-changing relocation.

~o0o~

Katara smiled in satisfaction and looked around the large room full of people. Everything had come together exactly as planned. Brown chairs surrounded the large circular, black tables. Pictures of Aang in his various costumes over the years hung from the white walls. Festive balloons and streamers were strategically placed throughout the dining area.

Katara could hear the soft sound of music playing from the speakers. She breathed in the tantalizing scents of the various food items spread out buffet style on the tables. Everything tasted wonderful and Aang particularly seemed to be enjoying his meatless dishes.

The summer had flown by and now Toph and Aang would be set to leave in few days. Katara had been trying to process the transition little by little, so she felt like she was in a better place now than she was when she first found out about the move. Plus rehearsals had provided enough of a distraction.

All of their friends laughed and talked and she smiled to herself. Aang and Toph hadn't left each other's sides the entire night. Katara knew they were beyond excited to be embarking on their new journey together. Sokka was the loudest, going on about how he would still find ways to prank his friend long-distance while Suki kept the food and drinks flowing.

Ty Lee had given a rousing speech to the couple about staying together and following their dreams. Toph had tolerated the emotional moment as best she could but Katara knew she would have been happy if the speech had been several minutes shorter than it was.

Katara gazed around admiring more of their party location. Aang had picked it out and he had great taste. As she gazed through the glass double doors that separated their area from the rest of the restaurant, she spotted a familiar woman standing near the bar.

Katara's heart rate increased. The woman's stature and the hard look on her face along with the way she wore her long, dark hair was an immediate giveaway.

The woman from the picture at Zuko's house. That was definitely her. Katara had spent many night agonizing over her connection to Zuko; pondering what he meant when he said she betrayed him; hating her for forcing him so far into his shell that he couldn't seem to come out even if he tried.

She was a big reason why they had argued. She was also standing only a few feet away.

As Katara looked on, a young man walked up to the woman and handed her a brown shopping bag. She could tell by the outline that it looked pretty full. As for the man, he was tall and had short hair in addition to an immaculate outfit and regal posture. Katara gasped. That was Zuko's assistant!

A sinking feeling took over her as she struggled to understand what this exchange had to mean.

Had Zuko and his ex-girlfriend gotten back together? What was in the bag? Some kind of gift? And why were they here of all places? What was going on?

Katara's mind swirled with questions she had no answers to. One thing was clear. The idea of him kissing that woman the way he had kissed her, or of her smiling up at him in his strong arms while she caressed him...

Katara gulped. Just the thought of it filled her with dread and made her ill. In that moment, the feelings Katara still had for him were much stronger than she had ever imagined.

"Katara! Hurry up, they're opening the giant card we got them!" Sokka shouted excitedly.

She shook her head. She had been neglecting the going away party. This would have to wait.

Katara smoothed her dress before she smiled and followed him over to Aang and Toph.

The festivities went on for about another hour and then everyone filed out of the restaurant. Aang and Toph walked up to her as they stood just outside of the restaurant entrance.

"Thank you so much for this party, Katara. It was really nice," Aang said wrapping her in a warm hug.

"Yeah, it was really nice of you," Toph echoed quietly.

Katara's mouth dropped open as she turned to face her friend. "Toph! You didn't call me any weird nicknames!" Katara placed her arms on Toph's shoulders. "You really are going to miss me."

Toph crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Whatever makes you feel better, princess." Toph said half-heartedly, but she still tolerated the hug Katara gave her.

"We're still hanging out tomorrow, right?" Aang clarified and Katara nodded.

"It's our last chance to spend time together before you leave so we'll make the most of it," Katara assured them and everyone nodded in agreement.

Then Aang and Toph said goodbye as they left and headed for Aang's car. Katara walked to her own car, replaying the scene with Zuko's ex-girlfriend and assistant over and over in her mind. Or maybe she was his current girlfriend.

"Ugh!" Katara groaned as she made her way home. She couldn't wait to get into her room and just relax.

~o0o~

As soon as she was home and settled, she sat on the living room couch staring anxiously at her cell phone. Suki was staying with Sokka again and she had the place to herself. It was something she would need to get used to anyway, since Suki would be moving in with him after Aang left.

She stared intently at the phone before she quickly picked it up and opened up her contacts list. His name and phone number glared back at her from her phone screen. Should she call him? What if it was just an awkward conversation? Or, what if _she_ answered?

Katara shoved the disturbing thoughts from her mind then changed the setting on her phone so that her number remained private. She gripped the phone tightly. After a couple more minutes she groaned. Just do it already!

Her fingers flew over the touchscreen as she dialed. Her hand shook as the phone rang and Katara suddenly hoped he wouldn't answer. What would she even say to him? 'Hey, Zuko. Sorry I ignored your calls and then didn't talk to you for months, but let's go out sometime!' Yeah, that would go over well.

Thankfully, the phone rang until his voicemail message came on. She smiled to herself as she heard the smooth, deep timbre of his voice saying to leave a detailed message. She hadn't realized how peaceful it felt to hear it.

As soon as Katara heard the beep, she panicked and quickly hung up. Then she sighed as she tossed the phone to the other end of the couch.

"Dammit! Why didn't I leave a message? What is wrong with me?" she said aloud.

She had to be honest with herself and admit that her feelings had been reignited. But, how was he going to know that if she was too scared to even leave a simple message for him? And, since she had also blocked her number, he wasn't going to know who had called either.

She really did lose her head when it came to him. Ever since the first night she'd met him, nothing had played out as she'd expected. Katara wondered if she was asking for too much. She had gone on and on about his songs while they waited. How could anyone live up to that standard?

Katara leaned back into the couch and closed her eyes. It hadn't been intentional. Seeing him that first time had been so exhilarating. Having him actually respond to her felt like an unending high. At the end of the day, though, they hardly knew each other.

Katara shook her head, realizing she was doing it again. Talking herself out of pursuing anything with him. If she ended up all alone, she would have no one to blame but herself. She realized that the real reason why she had failed to leave a message was out of fear. She imagined how hurt she would be if she left him a message and he didn't call back.

_Exactly like I did to him_, she thought to herself bitterly.

It was truly what she deserved and she was too much of a coward to even put herself out there the way he had. She flopped down on the thick cushions and stared up at the ceiling. Who was she kidding? This was never going to work.

That meant never seeing him again. And it was her own fault. Katara swiped away the tears from her burning eyes before she went to her room and dropped down on her bed. Still fully clothed, she fell into a dreamless sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Surprise! You get two for one this week! You're welcome. **

**Don't you just love how random the lengths of my chapters are? Ah well, I gave up obsessing about that about 4 chapters ago. When I first started I was like, "All my chapters shall be the same length! At least 3000 to 4000 words a piece!" Now I'm like, "1000 words? Done!" LOL! ****Anyway, just bear with me and I'll get this story told one way or another!**

**These aren't my characters. They belong to the creators. I owe those two guys because without them, I would have nothing to do with my free and not-so-free time. So, thanks Mike and Bryan!**

**And thank you, readers, for sticking with me. I hope you enjoy this chapter and if you are so inclined, drop me a review. :)**

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><p>Jet sat silently on the park bench, a newspaper shielding his face. She always walked this way when heading to the dance studio which meant he was in the perfect position to catch a glimpse of her.<p>

He frowned darkly as he remembered the last time they had talked. Yeah, he had been nervous to see her in person. So he had a few beers to relax. Sure those few had turned into a couple of six packs but so what? It hadn't been a big deal. He had to go to the hotel lobby to reason with her.

But of course she wouldn't listen. Even worse that musician had stepped in too. And she just stood there. Just when had they gotten so damn friendly?

He had just stood up to move to his new position in the far corner, where no one could see him, when his phone buzzed.

"I'm busy. Make it quick."

"Hello to you too," came the voice on the other end.

"Duke," Jet said in a dismissive tone. "Whaddaya want?"

"Where you at?"

"The park."

"By yourself?"

Jet groaned. "Maybe."

"What're you doing?"

"Relaxing."

"Your one word answers tell me something different."

"What the hell's that 'sposed to mean?"

"I'll bet my next paycheck you're somewhere you shouldn't be."

"You're wrong." Jet grimaced. "I'm in the right place."

"Dude. Did you learn nothing from sleeping off that last hangover in a jail cell? "

"I wasn't hungover," Jet said with indignation.

"You were drunk out of your mind."

Jet rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

"You're still on probation. You're lucky you didn't have to serve any jail time."

"It was only a couple of months. Besides I've been laying low."

"A lot of good that's gonna do when you get caught stalking your ex-girlfriend. "

"You got a point to this?" Jet paced around by the shrubs next to the window.

"Think real hard before you go down this road. She's not worth it."

"The hell she's not!" he fumed.

"Guess there's no getting through to you. "

"I know what I'm doing. "

"Famous last words. Can't say I didn't try. Later man. "

Jet quickly ended the call and frowned. Duke was too bossy, always trying to tell him how to live his life.

He fully intended to talk to Katara again and he'd be damned if he gave that musician asshole another opportunity to be her knight in shining armor.

Jet distinctly remembered how she'd looked walking with that dancer friend of hers as they left; heartbroken. It was a start...it meant she was probably still single and open for him to make his move.

He'd only been hit with probation for multiple offences. He hadn't even served any time. That was thanks to Katara. She hadn't pressed charges like everyone wanted her to. Jet smiled at the thought. There was no point in denying it; she still loved him.

That prick hadn't been arrested either. Jet knew he would have had to be the one to press charges against that guy. It was too risky, what with his checkered past, to be thrust under a microscope like that. It was better to let this one go and continue to aim for his ultimate prize.

Besides, the last thing he wanted to do was fight this in court. No sane person would rule against the musician considering the situation and he'd just end up with a more tainted record. Even if he had grabbed her out of passion and love, it just looked like he got violent with her.

It had to be done outside of the law and while he was sober.

Katara had filed a restraining order against him but he had been careful about staying far enough away from her. At least as far as she knew...

As long as she—or no one she knew— spotted him, the police wouldn't know he was in violation of that order. He had gotten better at being invisible over the years. He would keep doing that until his moment came.

All that mattered now was getting her alone again. He had to make her understand. This wasn't some childish game. His heart was not a plaything. His feelings for her were real. They weren't ever going to go away.

They had too much history for things to end like this. Katara had been his first true love. He had been her first lover. That bond was special and couldn't be wiped away by her letting some random guy stick his tongue in her mouth.

And since she insisted on ignoring him, he was going to have to make her listen.

Now that he was clear-headed, he could talk some sense into her. She would understand and come back to him. The trouble was getting her to meet with him again privately. There was no way she would agree to something like that, especially after last time.

So, he would have to take matters into his own hands. She would definitely fight him back and she would try to resist. But she would eventually give in. She always gave in.

His plan would take precision, timing, and patience. But, if it worked, she would be begging him to take her back. Yes, everything was going to work out just fine.

He finally saw her making her way across the empty park and immediately pulled out his binoculars. Now that it was warm out, she was wearing even less clothing and he was appreciative of that. He couldn't wait to get her back. Her body, every part of her, would be his again.

He checked his watch and noted the time and date. He just had to memorize her daily schedule. He gave himself another month or two and then he would have it down. Once he had it figured out, he could predict her movements and increase the chances of his plan working.

Luckily for him, Katara was like a clock. She loved routine and rarely strayed from it. That habit used to annoy him to no end when they were together. But now? It was proving to be the catalyst for their reunification.

~o0o~

"What the hell do you mean our attempt wasn't successful?"

The man on the other end swallowed audibly. "Not only did he miss the target. But now Chen knows we're on his trail."

"That idiot!" Ozai growled.

It was so hard to find good assassins these days. He could always call on...

No. He'd burned that bridge a long time ago and had regretted it ever since. Even so, there was absolutely no way he would apologize. Just who did they think he was?

"What happened out there?" Ozai asked.

"He says Chen moved out of view at the last minute."

"A true professional would be prepared for any contingency!"

"Perhaps, sir but the pool to draw them from is growing thin. Either their loyalty has changed or you've fired... "

"That's enough!" Ozai slammed his fist on the desktop so hard the whole room rumbled. "One more word out of you and I'll make sure you don't make another call."

The man cleared his throat. "Apologies, Sir."

"That's more like it." Ozai looked at the large painting of himself on the wall. He would be that man again. "And make sure that sorry excuse for a sharp shooter pays for this!"

Ozai didn't wait for a reply and slammed the phone down. He stared angrily down at his desk top, his hands folded tightly across a sheet of paper. His lips were pursed in a thin line and everyone else in the room stood as still and quietly as statues.

After a long moment of fearful silence, someone standing closest to Ozai ventured a question. "Sir? What now?"

Ozai turned toward the voice. "Things have gotten more serious. My life is being threatened again."

He paused momentarily as he gazed at the paperwork on his desk.

"What do we do?" the man asked.

"They're not getting what they want from me. I refuse to bow down to them like some second-class citizen." He paused before continuing.

"All that matters is my protection."

"But, what about your family?"

His eyes flashed. "What about them? How dare you ask me something so useless, you insubordinate vermin!" He flung his hand and the papers flew off of the desk. "Now pick those up!"

"My apologies, sir, " the man said quickly and hurried to pick up the items

He turned to the rest of them. "Your concern is not my family but me. I better not hear a single word from any one of you about that again."

He made a subtle motion with his hand. Without a word, the men filed out of his office, closing the door behind them. The one standing nearest to his desk remained.

"Now that we're alone, may I speak freely, Sir?"

"Yes, Lee you may speak," Ozai said. "But I suggest you choose your words wisely."

"Yes, sir. Thank you."

After a pause, Lee continued.

"I'm worried about this plan. Simply doing nothing will be a big risk. If we fail, there's no second chance."

Ozai remained silent for a long moment before nodding.

"You're right. It is a big risk. But you of all people know there's no point in playing it safe anymore."

Not a single long, dark hair was out of place as Ozai stood up. He walked slowly around his desk and over to the mini-bar where he poured himself a drink. He swirled the glass before knocking back the entire contents of the cup. Then he slammed the cup down.

"I want to send a message! They can't bully me or scare me. It is a risk I must take and I must conquer! Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir."

Even with the recent display, Lee remained calm and confident. Ozai settled down some. At least he still had a good man in Lee.

"We need to make sure we're ready," Ozai said.

"Just tell me what you need and I will do it."

"Fortify the house and prepare for one hell of a fight. I've already talked with my contacts in the financial district and they have red flagged Lawson's and Chen's accounts. Their assets will be frozen when I give the word."

"I'll get things started immediately." Lee got on the phone and made a call. Once he was done he asked Ozai, "What will you do in the meantime?"

"I'll be leaving on an extended vacation. Those two have been after me for years, but now I can sit back and watch while they take each other down. " Ozai opened his hand." And then I'll swoop right in and take back what's rightfully mine."

"Then that means..."

Ozai laughed and nodded. "Yes. They will surely go after my son. Which is fine with me. The second he left, he sealed his own fate."

Lee gave a curt nod in response.

"Besides," Ozai added, "he's been through this before. If they think hurting him will hurt me, they'll soon find out exactly how wrong they are. Anything else?"

"No, sir." the other man answered without hesitation.

"Good. Now get out!"

Without a word, Lee left, closing the door softly behind him.

Ozai leaned back in his chair. This recent development could do some good. It was high time he reclaimed his position. And what better way for it to happen than at the hands of his enemies?

**A/N: Just another quick note: Jet's friend in this story is named Duke. This friend is not the actual 'The Duke' character from ATLA. I just needed a name for Jet's friend in this story and that was the only Freedom Fighter name that translated to an actual real person's name. So, please don't get too hung up on the name and the ATLA character. Okay, hopefully that resolves any potential confusion!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Fear not...the next chapter is here! Read and be merry!**** Haha, p****lease excuse my word choice...Christmas is coming so I'm a little excited.**

**Same old disclaimer...character's aren't mine; so on and so forth. In fact, let me just say that disclaimer goes for all the chapters following this. There. I could have done that ages ago, right?**

**And thank you to those who are reviewing, following, and favoriting. It's so cool of you guys to do that! We've basically hit the halfway point of this story now so good job for reading this far! :)**

**Okay, enjoy and let me know your thoughts!**

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><p>Zuko barely held back his urge to pound the piano keys as a second break was called. He had to stay calm. No need to take out any frustrations on the instrument. It hadn't done anything.<p>

This show was turning out to be much more challenging than he would have ever thought. Every rehearsal dragged on forever. After each one, he felt less and less like they would be ready to perform.

Having to go out of town to do this show was another drain on him. He depended on going home and being in the comfort of his studio to recharge. Now, he had to settle for an impersonal hotel room with none of his equipment and every annoyance he could imagine. Anything from the random screaming down the halls to the constant sound of running water drew his ire.

On top of that, the lead dancer in this company was new and still wet behind the ears. She definitely wouldn't have been his first choice. But with receiving the backing for this show, having her here was mandatory. She was an okay dancer and had lots of potential. But she was no Katara.

His skin tingled when he pictured the first time he had seen her dance. It had been magic. He had tried to play it cool and pretend as if her movement had no effect on him. But, never before had he given someone a standing ovation after an audition. And she had drawn that behavior out without him even realizing it.

Meanwhile, this situation was more like a trainwreck. He had to keep modifying the timing of his music because the soloist just could not get it right. They always ended up off beat or she stopped too early. It was maddening.

The orchestra was having fits because they couldn't even follow the sheet music as written. Zuko imagined the conductor would have torn his hair out by now if he had any left to grab on to. What a mess.

_Katara would have this down by now. And it would be flawless. _

Zuko knew it wasn't fair to compare the two dancers but he couldn't help himself. After composing for numerous shows, the one thing he knew was that there was absolutely no one like Katara around.

She had the perfect balance of professionalism and skill. She was never late to rehearsal and it was obvious she practiced outside of the studio.

She rarely needed notes and during the show she had inspired him to make changes to the way he presented his own music based on her artistic interpretation. She was a musician's dream.

Well, at least he had a show to work on, even if it had proven to be an ongoing struggle. No one else seemed deeply concerned and he realized that the ease and success of the last show had spoiled him. Most shows went like this one. It was rare that things went as smoothly as they had with Katara.

The bar was so set so high after that show and he had to present something at least on par with that. Everyone knew that he wasn't working with one of the best dancers to grace a stage so they weren't expecting perfection.

At the same time, since his name was associated with it, Zuko only wanted the best. Even if it meant daily issues, he would put on a performance they would talk about for months. It was the honorable thing to do for his potential audience and his work ethic demanded it.

He had worked hard for this opportunity, having been in constant contact with backers and performers looking to work with him. It was exciting but also stressful. He had somehow managed to push past the negativity that was his father's name in getting this most recent backer.

But now he had to produce results. He could still remember the day he got that first call...the call that would change everything...

"_Hello?" He answered his phone on the first ring. He didn't recognize the number and was bracing himself for another rejection._

"_Am I speaking to Zuko?"_

"_Yes, this is he."_

"_Zuko, we wanted to congratulate you on your last show. It was outstanding."_

"_Thank you," his tone was uncertain, but he liked the direction this conversation was going. "Who is this?" _

"_I'm Han, the Chief Financial Officer of Minh Entertainment. We want to know if you are interested in partnering up with us on a project."_

_Zuko's breath caught in his throat. Minh Entertainment was the number three entertainment company in the nation. Was this really happening?_

"_We can't provide you with a dancer like Katara or Aang, but we have an up and coming star who would really benefit from your expertise. What do you think?"_

_Zuko nodded vigorously before remembering that he was on the phone._

"_Yes! I would be happy to work with you on this project."_

"_Great! I'll have my assistant call yours. We'll schedule a meeting. How does next week sound?"_

_"Anytime is fine. I'll be there."_

_"We'll be eagerly waiting. In the meantime, I look forward to working with you."_

"_Yes, and the same for me as well." Zuko groaned inwardly. Not his best response but he hadn't felt this nervous in a while. _

Had Zuko known this struggle would be the next step in his life changing opportunity, he wouldn't have been nearly as excited. Considering that the lead dancer was the daughter of the CEO of Minh Entertainment, he had no choice but to tolerate her. He certainly wasn't going to quit and he would put out the best product he could with what he was given.

Still, he had been talking to his uncle and wondering if he should open himself up to do more solo projects. As important as it was to get his name out there as a collaborator, he might attract more polished productions if he continued to show his own skill. If they knew what he had to bring to the table, he could be more selective about what shows he chose to be a part of.

"Okay, let's call it a night," the production manager called, pulling Zuko back into the present.

The entire room gave a collective sigh of relief. Zuko hurriedly packed up his things before he could get trapped in another awkward conversation with the lead dancer about timing and extra rehearsals.

The only person he had ever been excited about having extra rehearsals with was Katara. And that was mainly because they didn't spend all of that time rehearsing.

His face grew warm as he pictured their last kiss, but he immediately pushed the image out of his mind. Right now, he just wanted to get back to his hotel and forget the fact that the last two hours of his life had been spent counting beats out loud.

He managed to escape the building in one piece. With the lead dancer going out of town he wouldn't have to return until early the next week. Zuko still planned to touch base with the orchestra. Maybe he could somehow charm the conductor into not bailing before the performance.

On the short drive to his room, all he could think about was his solo performance with Katara and the way she had looked at him after it was over. He hadn't wanted the song to end and he could sense she was feeling the same.

It was just as he pulled into the entrance to the hotel that he decided to call her.

~o0o~

Zuko paced his hotel room, gripping his cell phone like a lifeline. He had to do this. Even if he wasn't sure if she would answer, the least he could do was give it one more try.

He finally got up his nerve and hit the button. To his dismay the call ended without connecting. He frowned and did it again. The same thing happened. He finally spotted the top right portion of his phone screen and saw what was wrong. He had no reception bars and every now and then he would get a notification that there was no service.

He'd only been there a couple of weeks and barely used his phone as it was, but he didn't remember having reception problems before. Of course, the one time he tried to make a call, he couldn't.

"Come on!" he shouted in frustration as he held up the phone and wandered around the room. He was hoping to pick up some kind of signal, but it wasn't going to happen.

Zuko left the room and hopped on the elevator. Two minutes later the metal doors doors slid open and he went outside. A blast of cold air hit him and he was grateful to be so warm blooded.

He looked at his phone again. It went back and forth between half of a line and an 'X' but he attempted a call anyway. The first time he got nothing. The next attempt he managed to hear one ring before it clicked off.

Zuko clenched his fist and walked over by the parking garage. 'No Service' flashed again. Damn! Why did something that should be so simple have to be so hard?

He briefly considered using his hotel phone to call her but ultimately decided against it. He knew she didn't answer unknown numbers because of Jet. Not to mention, the out of town rate per minute was ridiculous.

Borrowing someone's phone was also out of the question. Even if he got over his shyness long enough to talk to a complete stranger, he couldn't imagine them letting him use their phone. On top of that, Katara wouldn't answer because it would still appear as an unknown number to her. No matter how he felt, it wasn't a life or death situation.

Zuko trudged back inside. Maybe it still just wasn't the right time.

He had talked to her brother on a few occasions since the show. Once he ran into him in town and another time he had been longing for Katara and wanted some connection so he'd called. Sokka had put up with his poor social skills and overall depressing demeanor well enough. But, he had no further insights regarding his sister.

He had mentioned she was working on a new show and was keeping busy. Zuko knew he must have sensed his desperation. He was too afraid to come out and ask if he should try to call her again and Sokka didn't suggest one way or the other.

He did also tell him that Jet had stayed away and that Katara was not seeing anyone. The relief that washed over him to hear those words was immense.

It was pretty crazy to have such strong feelings so fast but that was in his nature. He'd jump in first and have to deal with the consequences later. It had gotten him into trouble quite often when he was younger. He wasn't quite as reckless now but sometimes those moments still snuck up on him.

Zuko sighed with resignation as he opened the door to his room and collapsed onto his bed. He would just have to wait a bit longer. He had been waiting this long-nearly six months-and he would continue to wait. He knew he would still feel this way even if he had to wait six more years.

And now that things were finally looking up for him, he was starting to feel like he might actually deserve her. He had a few things to work on but didn't everybody? Mai had understood his reserved nature so it only made sense Katara would too.

He prepared for a shower as his Uncle's words came to mind: "Sometimes life is like this dark tunnel. You can't always see the light at the end of it, but if you just keep moving, you will come to a better place."

Ten minutes later, as Zuko got into bed, he hoped to come to that place soon.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hey now! I'm back with a new chapter so let's get this party started.**

**These two just can't seem to get it together, can they? Haha...I feel that way and I'm the one writing this! :P**

**Anyway, while we wait for them to get on the same page, why not check out this new chapter? And, if you're having feelings, please share them with me!**

**Enjoy! :)**

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><p>"Great job today, everyone! I'll see you next week. But make sure you practice before then. Have a good weekend!"<p>

The group of excited teenagers said their goodbyes as they giggled among themselves and retreated to the locker room. Katara smiled to herself, remembering how simple life was back then.

She had to admit she enjoyed teaching students. She had been approached by Ty Lee after Aang left and had jumped at the chance. It was something she had wanted to do for years. Never in her wildest dreams had she pictured she would get the opportunity so early on in her career.

"Katara! Great class today! You've got a good group of kids." It was Ty Lee who had just appeared from her office.

"Hey, you're the one who hand picks the dancers for this studio. You should be patting yourself on the back," Katara corrected but Ty Lee shook her head.

"I spot talent but you are molding and shaping it. Their first show is going to be amazing."

Katara nodded as she dried the sweat from her forehead and neck with her towel. Then she took a few sips from her water bottle. When she finished, she regarded her mentor silently for a moment.

Ty Lee had never been able to stand quietly for so long, but Katara suspected she knew what was holding her tongue today.

"I think I know why you're here," she stated eventually and Ty Lee smirked.

"I'm sure you do." Ty Lee nodded. "The producers want a final confirmation of all performers by tomorrow afternoon so they can begin printing up marketing material and approaching potential donors. Katara, you and Zuko are going to be the headlining performance. You will be the face of the advertising campaign and your performance will close the show. And Zuko already agreed! I really hope that you-"

"Ty Lee, stop right there." Katara said, interrupting her pitch. "Although you're really selling hard right now, you don't need to. I've made my decision already."

Katara kept her expression neutral and she could see Ty Lee searching her eyes desperately, as if she would see the answer in them.

Finally, Ty Lee looked away sadly and Katara wanted to laugh out loud at how comical her expression was. She also found it humorous that Ty Lee had already assumed what her answer would be without waiting for her to actually give it.

"I see. Well, I guess I can understand your position," Ty Lee began, a defeated tone in her voice.

"Do you? Because if you did, I would think you would sound a bit more excited."

Ty Lee's eyes went wide as saucers and a devilish smile crossed Katara's face.

"Katara, don't mess around with me…" Ty Lee warned.

"I'm not. I'll do the show."

Ty Lee playfully slapped her arm and then pulled her into a strong hug. "I'm going to get you for that." But her laughter signaled a different intention.

"I couldn't resist. You just seemed so convinced and I had to mess with you." Katara explained.

Ty Lee and Katara separated then and Ty Lee locked eyes with her, a somber expression on her face.

"Seriously, though. Are you really okay with this? I know when I first brought it up to you last week, you seemed reluctant. And I don't want you to feel obligated because of me."

Katara shook her head, waving away the notion.

"Last week, I was shocked by the whole thing. But, I had time to think about it and I really am thrilled to be asked to perform. Regardless of everything else, Zuko and I do work well together. I'm sure he would agree with that. Plus, the future of arts in this area is important to me."

"And you two…"

"...are fine. We're professionals and that's all that matters."

Ty Lee seemed satisfied with her answer and nodded.

"Okay, I won't hound you anymore. I'm just going to run and call the production team now before you change your mind. Thank you so much, Katara! Let me buy you dinner sometime soon!" Ty Lee had already begun her retreat back to her office and Katara chuckled.

"Sounds like a plan. I'll see you later."

Katara shook her head as she finished packing up her bag. Although she was appreciative of Ty Lee's effort to be concerned about her past with Zuko, she was a little tired of everyone treating her with kid gloves when it came to him. She was a grown up, for crying out loud!

She yawned. If she could get home quickly, maybe she could get a nap in before meeting up with Suki later. Her phone chimed and she saw a text from Suki. She read the message and smirked.

_Katara, don't kill me but you have to check this out. Maybe you should go… _she had written. A picture was attached and Katara opened it.

She eyed the photo. It was a flyer advertising a show coming up in a few weeks. Zuko was the listed composer and the show would be taking place out of town in a city not too far from where she lived.

Katara thanked Suki for the text but didn't tell her she already knew about the show. She had been secretly keeping up with Zuko's whereabouts for the past month. Another thing she failed to mention to Suki was her plan to go and see the show.

After having several conversations with Aang over the phone and hearing how happy he and Toph were in Europe as well as seeing her brother and Suki well on their way to walking down the aisle, it got her thinking. It was high time she quit acting like such a coward and face Zuko once and for all.

She had kept this bit of information from everyone, including Ty Lee, because she didn't want to have several different people weighing in on her decision. Her relationship with him had already been too public in the past and she wanted to approach things carefully this time. This was another reason why she didn't want others talking to her as if she and Zuko had broken up and were now seeing each other for the first time since then. She already had the situation under some semblance of control and they didn't need to worry about it.

As she walked through the front door of her apartment ten minutes later, her phone rang. She smiled as she saw who it was and quickly picked up the call.

"Dad! How are you?"

"I'm good. Everything okay with you?"

"Yeah. Things are going great."

"Is your brother staying out of trouble?"

"Mostly. Suki's keeping him in line."

Hakoda laughed. "She's going to make a great daughter-in-law."

"Assuming she doesn't kill him before he gets the chance to propose."

They both shared a good laugh at that before Hakoda cleared his throat.

"So, honey. Are you still single? Sokka told me you were interested in some composer."

It was a pathetic attempt to shift the topic but Katara couldn't help but grin. "Dad, I don't want to have this conversation with you."

"I know, but I'm just curious. He sounded like a nice guy. What happened?"

Katara shook her head. He was going to force the issue.

"I just wasn't ready. I pushed him to a place where he wasn't comfortable and he shut down. Once that happened, I understood I was still focused on the mistakes I made with Jet and I couldn't see past that."

"Jet was a bad guy."

Katara nodded, chuckling. "Yeah, he was."

"So, how are you feeling now?"

Katara paused. She wasn't sure if she was ready to voice those thoughts just yet. At the same time, her dad would be the safest person to tell. He was halfway across the world so the chances of her brother or friends getting wind of this conversation were very slim. On top of that, he was generally good at keeping secrets.

"I miss him, but I ignored him before."

"Well, maybe you should try to talk to him again."

Katara raised an eyebrow. Somehow he had kept her talking long enough to slide in one of his 'wise suggestions.'

"Thanks. I'll think about it."

Her dad laughed lightly at her immediate shutdown.

"Okay, I get it. You tolerated me longer than I expected and I'm proud of you for that. So, tell me about your new show."

Katara sighed.

"What? I'm trying to move on to new topics. Did I mess up?"

"No. It's just that...well, he's in the new show."

Hakoda paused slightly, then said, "Oh. I see."

"It's not a big deal. I've just been asked to perform a solo with him accompanying on piano. It's an all-star show being held to raise money for charity."

"Does he know about this already?"

"Yeah. Ty Lee told me she had already confirmed that he would do it before she talked to me. I think she was hoping that would help her sell me on it.

"Did it?"

"It wasn't even necessary because I would have done it anyway. But...yes, it was nice to know that he also wanted to do it."

Katara couldn't believe how open and honest she was being with her father. Normally she would keep these sorts of thoughts to herself, but with her friends doing their own thing now, she hadn't been able to talk seriously about Zuko with anyone for months.

"Well, that sounds great...right? " Her dad sounded uncertain and she smiled.

"Yeah, it will be nice to work with him again."

"When's the show?"

"At the end of the year. We'll have to start rehearsing in about a month. We're not learning anything new so we won't need as much time."

"Looks like you'll have to touch base with him soon to set that all up. You know these things happen for a reason."

Katara's eyes narrowed as a smirk played on her lips. "Dad," she said, a warning tone in her voice.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't resist."

"I know. And I have to admit...you're not wrong."

"You make it sound like a bad thing."

That comment made Katara roll her eyes.

They talked for another hour and Katara remembered how much she missed her dad. Ever since he had left to travel the world as a photographer after she and Sokka moved out, she had barely been able to see him. She always enjoyed their talks even if they often ended up with her talking about her romantic relationships.

Katara ended this particular conversation with only one thing on her mind: confirmation she needed to see Zuko. There was still some fear about them being together, but at the very least, he needed to know she still cared for him.

Even with all of his romanticizing, her dad was right. She was going to have to contact him soon anyway. Why not surprise him at his out of town show and get the ball rolling? It would be better to get all of this awkwardness out of the way now so they could work together when the time came.

In the back of her mind, Katara also figured it would be good to understand where they stood with each other. If what she saw in the restaurant during the going away party was what she thought it was, then she needed to accept that he had moved on. She could give herself time to process the fact that he was no longer available and be ready to maintain a professional relationship during rehearsals and the performance.

She sighed heavily and rested her head in her hands. Either way it turned out, this was going to be hard. The risk was there and the chances of her getting hurt were extremely high. But, it was time to face this. No more running.

She would make sure Sokka knew her plans to see him so he wouldn't worry, but this was something she needed to do alone.

~o0o~

Katara stepped out of her front door and paused to lock it. It was finally time for Zuko's show.

She had waited patiently for two weeks now, trying to decide if this was the best plan. She agonized over Zuko's potential reaction to seeing her in the audience, assuming he noticed her at all.

She played out in her head what would happen if she went backstage to find him and congratulate him afterward. Would she apologize to him with the entire group of performers standing there? Also, she knew it would be a long drive back afterward, what with the show taking place in a town two hours away. But, if things went well, maybe she and Zuko could spend the night together.

Wow, that sounded bad. She only meant that she wanted to talk with him and catch up. She couldn't control where the night might take them, but she had a right to consider all of the possibilities!

Great. Now she was trying to convince herself why this was an okay intention to have. It wouldn't even matter if his ex-girlfriend was there, right? Katara cringed a little while she imagined watching them embrace backstage. Then they would hold hands and walk off together, talking tenderly to each other….

Katara shook her head. That's what she wanted to be doing with him. Obviously she had accepted her feelings for him. Even so, she didn't know how he felt. But, was it wrong for her to be open to whatever may happen?

She could be falling into the same old trap if they saw each other and let things get physical again. They really needed to talk and hash things out first. Especially if his ex was in the picture.

Katara closed her eyes. _Stop thinking about that! What if she isn't?_

If that were the case, Katara couldn't promise she wouldn't be drawn in by his eyes. His smile might drive her to places she wasn't trying to go. And if he touched her, all bets would be off.

This was why she hadn't slept at all last night and why the queasiness lingered in her stomach now. She hadn't felt this nervous since her very first performance. She took deep breaths to help calm herself down but it wasn't working the way it should have.

Just as she turned to leave, the hairs rose on the back of her neck and she felt goosebumps appear. Someone was behind her. She stuck her arm out in an attempt to stab the offender with her keys. Before she could find her assailant, an arm gripped her waist from behind. It was so tight she could barely breathe.

She tried to scream, but a hand clamped down over her mouth. The sound was muffled. Katara looked around frantically. There wasn't anyone else in her hallway. No one could hear her. Next, she tried to open her mouth. If she could bite his hand, she would be free to yell. Hopefully even run.

She lunged forward toward her door in the hopes of gaining some traction against her captor, but she didn't budge in his iron grip. Katara lifted her foot to kick backward toward his groin when she felt a sharp prick in her neck. In an instant, her body felt heavy and she couldn't stand up anymore. Her vision blurred and then went completely dark.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hey, everyone! It's Christmas week! I hope you're enjoying some quality time with loved ones. I'm posting a bit earlier in the week so that I can do just that. Now, I'm happy if you choose to spend your holiday reading this story. But hopefully you get in some face to face time with the fam, too. ;)**

**I know I left you with a little cliffy last chapter but don't fret. If you stick with me, you'll get your resolution! **

**Feel free to let me know how the story is feeling for you and enjoy! :)**

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><p>Zuko sighed as he lowered his hands from the piano keys and heard the deafening chorus of applause from the audience. Somehow, they had managed to make it through the show.<p>

There were definitely more than a few hiccups along the way and the lead dancer was still not quite on track at curtain, but he had done his best to follow her lead and was happy with the overall product.

As he stood to take his bows before the audience, who gave him a rousing standing ovation, he had a singular image in his head: Katara. She had been on his mind nonstop since he had sat down at the piano at the start of the night. Every time he watched the lead dancer he kept superimposing Katara's image on top of hers.

A part of him wondered if she would have come had she known about the show. He disdainfully found himself scanning the audience, as if by some miracle he would see her sitting there, grinning back at him.

Once the curtain closed, he didn't stay long on stage. He had already checked out of his hotel, planning to go straight home after the show. He quickly changed out of his performance attire and into a comfortable pair of jeans and a brown, button down shirt.

Zuko intended to give the dancers his final congrats and then make a hasty exit when a firm hand clamped down on his shoulder.

"Zuko! Another job well done, I must say," came the boisterous voice behind him.

Zuko held back a groan before he turned and pasted on his best smile. "Mr. Minh," he said with exaggerated surprise. "I wasn't expecting you to be here tonight."

"I had to come and see my little girl in action. You two made a great team."

Zuko checked his watch and nodded. "Yes. She was very easy to work with," he lied.

"Damn right." Mr. Minh slapped him hard on the shoulder and laughed. "I wanted to talk about another project."

"I'm pretty busy these days," Zuko replied, glancing at the door. "But give my assistant a call and we'll set something up."

"Very well," Mr. Minh stuck out his hand. "I didn't want to keep you too long. It's been a pleasure doing business with you."

"You as well." Zuko shook hands with the man. "You have a good night."

From there, he paused long enough to thank everyone and congratulate his lead dancer on a great performance. Although it wasn't a great performance—Katara could do great in her sleep—he was smart enough to know that he needed to schmooze. As the owner of the backing company, her dad would most likely ask her to report back on their interactions. Even though he had just had a pleasant conversation with the man, the last thing he needed was for her to negate all of that by telling her dad he had been a colossal jerk.

As soon as he was done shaking hands and saying his goodbyes, he jumped into his car. He was going home, but not right away. He had one very important stop to make first.

~o0o~

Zuko pulled into the parking lot of Katara's apartment building and turned off his car. He glanced quickly around the lot and noticed her car parked near her unit. Oh, God...she was actually home.

_What am I doing? Why on earth would she open her door for me, much less let me inside and talk? She could very well be waiting for the perfect opportunity to yell at me. Or just keep ignoring me._

Zuko's antagonistic thoughts were merciless and he gripped his car key, ready to jam it back into the ignition and leave. If he pulled away now, she would never even know he was there and he could save himself a lot of embarrassment.

Then his Uncle came to mind. He had given him so many words of wisdom over the years and he knew it would be a disappointment for him to find that he didn't follow his heart on this.

Following his heart...that was another shortened version of a tidbit he had gotten from him. He couldn't turn back now. He would just regret it and his feelings were too strong to just ignore them.

Before he could talk himself out of it, he jumped out of the car and headed inside the building. Her apartment was on the first floor and he was impressed that he remembered the number after all of this time. Technically he had never been to her place before, but she had given him her address because they were going to meet to discuss details back when rehearsals were starting for their first show together.

That meeting had been cancelled and another chance to come to her apartment had never presented itself.

He knocked once, trying to still his shaking hand. His breath came in gasps and he realized he would look crazy if she answered the door with him in such a state. After waiting for a minute, he knocked a second time. He couldn't hear any noises inside and wondered if she could have gone somewhere. It was possible she'd gotten a ride from someone. He decided to call her. Her phone rang twice and then it was picked up.

"Is this Zuko?"

Zuko was startled by the question and the voice posing it.

"Who is this?" he asked. Why was a man answering Katara's phone?

"Don't worry about that. I wanna know if this is Zuko or not?"

Zuko's body stiffened as he suddenly recognized who it was.

"Jet," he spat out and the man on the other line chuckled.

"You're lucky, you prick. I could have pressed charges that night. It was a good hit, though. You've obviously got some training."

Zuko scowled but didn't acknowledge his statement. He wasn't about to waste his breath talking to this scum any longer.

"I bet you're wondering why I have Katara's phone. Well, it's an easy answer. She's with me now and she's a little...busy at the moment." His voice dripped with arrogance and Zuko wanted so badly to shut that voice up. One quick stranglehold to his trachea would do the trick.

At the same time, Zuko felt like someone had punched him in the stomach. She was with _him_ now? How could this be? Sokka had just told him Jet was nowhere around and Katara was single. Also, Katara would never go back to this guy, would she? After everything that happened?

But it made sense. Why else would her car be here without her? And he did have her cell phone.

There was no point in continuing this conversation. Zuko hit the end call button and slid downward until he was seated outside of her door.

That was it; he had waited too long and lost his chance. He had let this dirtbag swoop back in and take her right from underneath his nose. Just as he was about to stand and take the walk back to his car, his phone rang. It was Sokka. Why was he calling?

"Hey, Sokka."

"Zuko! Thank God you answered. I know your show was tonight but I need your help. How long until you're back in town?"

"I'm back in town now. The show ended hours ago."

"You're _already_ back? Where are you?"

Zuko paused but then figured, why be shy now? Sokka knew pretty much everything anyway.

"I'm at Katara's place. After the show was over I just couldn't get her out of my mind. I was hoping to talk to her."

"Is she there?"

Zuko swallowed hard. "No. Her car is but she isn't."

"I think something's up. I've been trying to call her all night and she's not answering her phone."

Zuko raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"I just called her and Jet answered. Sokka, I thought you said—"

"Wait, what? Jet answered her phone?! How long ago was this?"

"About two minutes. What's going on?"

Sokka sighed heavily and Zuko could hear rustling noises and keys jangling in the background.

"Katara was supposed to go see your show today. She was planning to leave early this afternoon. Now you're telling me her car is at her place, she's not, and Jet answered her phone. What did he say?"

She had planned to come to his show? Zuko couldn't deny the warmth that washed over him at hearing those words.

Yet he was starting to put the pieces together as he got to his feet. His mind was racing as he struggled to remember the conversation. If nothing else, it was clear that Katara was in trouble.

"He said that she was with him now and that she was not able to answer the phone."

"I'm coming over now. Stay right where you are okay?"

"Of course. Hey, so Katara isn't..."

"Really, man? No! She isn't dating Jet. They haven't spoken since the night you rearranged his face."

"So, you think he actually took her?" His eyes narrowed.

"Looks that way," Sokka replied grimly.

Zuko's mouth had gone dry. They were clearly dealing with a lunatic. And Katara...he prayed she was okay. He took some solace in the fact that Jet said he cared for her so hopefully he wouldn't hurt her. But, if he was crazy enough to kidnap her, then he was crazy enough to do almost anything.

"I'm calling back. If he answers again, I'll let him know exactly what I'm going to do to him. Getting punched again will be the least of his problems." Zuko was having trouble containing the heat rising within him.

The image of Jet yanking her around during the party was maddening enough. The places his imagination took him when he pictured what Jet might be doing to her now was driving him insane with fury.

"No, don't do that. Right now he thinks no one's on to him. We can buy ourselves time to figure this out as long as he thinks his plan worked."

"Fine," Zuko spat out. He knew Sokka was right, yet he couldn't help but feel like he was letting Jet win. "I'm calling the police."

"Okay. I'm on my way."

~o0o~

The police arrived just moments before Sokka, who was at his sister's door within ten minutes of hanging up the phone. Zuko had been pacing back and forth in front of her doorway, but stopped when Sokka appeared. Zuko had to admit that Sokka looked a little crazed himself, but who could blame him?

Sokka curtly greeted the police officers and then jammed his copy of his sister's house key into the lock. Then the officers asked the two men to stand to the side as they entered the apartment with flashlights and guns drawn. From outside, everything in the living room area looked perfectly in place.

"You two stay here," The first officer said. "We'll check things out to see if there's anyone or anything here that can give us an idea of what happened this afternoon."

Zuko and Sokka nodded and peered through the door. A few minutes later, the officers were back.

"Nothing out of the ordinary," the first one said.

"When was the last time you saw your sister?" the second uniform asked.

"We went out for breakfast this morning," Sokka replied. "And I talked to her later this afternoon."

"I called her number and got her ex-boyfriend," Zuko added in a harsh tone.

The man wrote fast. "You said she had an order of protection against him?"

"For what that's worth." Sokka crossed his arms. The other officer was already talking to dispatch.

"We can't file a missing persons report since it hasn't been 24 hours but we're putting out an all points bulletin. Do you know what he looks like? What kind of car does he drive?"

Sokka and Zuko gave as much information as they could of Jet's description. Neither knew about his car. Sokka also showed them a picture of Katara he had saved in his cell phone. The men asked a few more questions and left, leaving a card with the precinct's number on it.

Zuko and Sokka then entered her apartment. Zuko definitely hadn't planned on this being his first visit to her place. He eyed all the visible surfaces but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. As he glanced at her desk, he noticed the card he had given her perched on top of a notebook. Even though that night had ended on a sour note and she had ended things before they began, apparently she had kept the card.

As nice as it was to see that, he refocused on the situation. He wouldn't get the chance to talk with her again if they didn't help her first. After taking one last look around, he stepped back out into the living room.

"Well?" Sokka asked and Zuko shook his head. "We've already wasted a lot of time. We need to figure out where to go."

"Nothing looked weird in there. What do we do now?"

Sokka sighed in frustration. "He must not have gotten her inside the apartment otherwise we would see signs of a struggle. Katara wouldn't just let him take her away without a fight."

Zuko nodded. "Maybe he got her as she was leaving? Or he knocked her out somehow and then took her?" Just speaking the words out loud made him tremble with hatred, but he had to suppress his emotions. It was going to take a clear head to work this all out.

"Maybe. Let's just go to Jet's place and see if we get some answers there."

Zuko followed Sokka out of the apartment, but a thought came to his mind.

"Do you really think he would take her there? That's the most obvious choice and he has to know it's the first place we would check once we realized she was missing."

"Yeah, you're right. But it's the only place I can think of right now. Maybe there will be clues there as to what he's been planning." Sokka shrugged. "It's all we've got right now."

Zuko nodded and jumped into the passenger seat of Sokka's car. He'd barely buckled his seatbelt when squealing brakes signaled Sokka tearing out of the parking lot. As concerned as Zuko was for Katara's safety, Sokka was even more so.

"We'll get her back. And Jet will be taken care of." Zuko assured him. He felt his entire body tensing up again and he didn't care. He would need that power later.

Sokka nodded, his jaw clenching and unclenching.

"I promised to always protect her and look what I let happen. I should have insisted that she press charges."

Zuko eyed him curiously as they approached a stoplight.

"She didn't press charges after what happened that night?"

Sokka shook his head.

"Aang and I both tried to convince her but she said she didn't want to have to deal with him anymore. She figured bringing him up on charges would mean she would have to keep seeing him in court. She just wanted to completely wash her hands of him."

Zuko agreed that pressing charges would have been ideal, but he also knew that Katara wouldn't do something she didn't want to do. No amount of pleading or reasoning from anyone would have changed anything if her mind was made up.

But none of that mattered now. Jet was a criminal bordering on insanity and he had crossed the line by taking Katara against her will. He needed to go down.

Zuko's hand twitched restlessly on his thigh. He was so eager to attack that monster that it almost hurt to hold back. After this whole ordeal was over, he would see to it that Jet was behind bars for as long as possible. Beyond that, he would personally make sure Jet didn't bother her ever again.

The two men continued the drive toward Jet's place.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Greetings! Here's a bonus chapter this week for your h****oliday reading. Consider it my Christmas gift to you! ;)**

**Enjoy and let me know what you think****! :)**

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><p>Katara opened her eyes. They felt heavy. She saw nothing but thick blackness. After a moment she realized the reason she couldn't see was because there was something strapped over her eyes.<p>

She tried to shift her arms and legs but they were tightly bound and attached with something. She moved her fingers and felt thick twine. The knots made her stomach sink. Her mouth was also gagged and she tasted something metallic on her tongue. She tried screaming but it was no use.

The air smelled of stale cigarette smoke. She heard silence except for the sound of her own frantic breathing. Her pulse beat in her ears. What was happening? The cold air hit her and she shivered. She didn't have her jacket and there seemed to be no heat on in this place. She tried to feel around for it but didn't find anything.

After a while of her struggling to remove the binds, a door creaked open and slammed close. Then she heard the padded footfalls of shoes hitting carpet. Suddenly the darkness she had been seeing changed to bright lights and she squinted. The light burned her eyes and searing pain ran through her head. Where was she?

"Katara. Look at me."

"Ungh…" She groaned raggedly. She instantly recognized Jet's voice. This couldn't be happening.

"If you promise not to scream, I'll take the gag off too. You have to promise."

Katara nodded silently. She contemplated what would happen if she went against that promise. It didn't seem like it would help her situation any. She wasn't sure where she was and if he became angry with her, there was no telling what he would do. She was no good to anyone lying lifeless on the side of the road. Best to sit back and wait for an opening.

Once the cloth was pulled from her mouth, she licked her lips to moisten them. Then, she continued to eye the blurry form in front of her until her vision cleared. Sure enough, Jet stood in front of her with his dark hair standing on end and a crazed look in his eyes.

"What? You're not happy to see me?" he asked.

"Jet! Why did you kidnap me?" she croaked. Her mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton. Every breath made her throat feel like sandpaper.

"It sounds bad when you say it like that. I brought you with me because I had no choice. Last time your little boyfriend interrupted us. And you just wouldn't listen." He moved closer and she saw the unmistakable glint of a knife.

Katara tried to think past the pounding in her head. She needed to stay calm. Clearly, Jet had lost his mind. She had to keep her wits about her.

"I was shocked. I mean, I hadn't seen you in over a year and you really hurt me that night. How was I supposed to act?"

Maybe if she stalled long enough, she could make her escape. She just had to make sure Jet believed she wasn't going to try to run.

"I know. I'm sorry I did that. And I didn't mean to hurt you, but you should have just listened to me."

Katara's temperature rose along with her anger. How dare he try to blame her for his aggression! And how stupid of her to miss these obvious signs of his abusive nature. Dating him had been a massive mistake and losing her virginity to him had been a grave error in judgment.

But now wasn't the time to beat herself up. She had to get the hell away from him.

"I know. You're right. I should have just listened to you."

Jet gently caressed her cheek and she fought the urge to cringe. Her stomach lurched and she swallowed hard to keep her food down. He was literally making her sick.

"It's okay. I forgive you for that and for what that jerk did to me."

Katara's jaw clenched tightly. "Thank you."

She weighed her options. Right now, she couldn't overpower him. She needed to get free but how?

She could put up a fight or scream but what would he do? He could cut her or even worse incapacitate her again. Who knew what he would do with her unconscious body once that happened? She could take a good guess.

That left her with only one option. Katara had to show him she had thought this through; had listened to "reason." She had to get into a better position where she could control the outcome. Which meant being his girl again. But, she had to put on the acting job of her life if she was going to convince him she wanted him. If she could get him to free her, she could make her move.

"Hey, Jet? These ropes are a little uncomfortable. Can you take them off?"

Jet turned and looked at her skeptically.

"I really want to, babe. I'm just worried." She was sitting on the couch and he had turned back toward her, standing several feet away.

"But why?" She gave him the most seductive pout she could muster.

His Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed hard. She was starting to get to him.

"I don't want you to hurt me and leave again," he replied huskily.

She crossed her legs, allowing the slit in her dress to reveal her left thigh. Katara inwardly thanked Suki for making her buy this dress even when she couldn't imagine where she would wear it. As much as it annoyed her, her attempt to impress Zuko was helping her out right now.

"I would never hurt you. Just come here for a second. Let me show you exactly what I want to do to you." Her voice dropped a few decibels and she bit her lower lip.

Katara knew from personal experience those two behaviors drove him wild. Not much had changed in the time they had been apart. He walked toward her, his eyes displaying a hungry determination.

This was risky. She didn't smell alcohol on him which must mean he was sober. She held back a shiver. That made this even worse. At least if he was drunk, the alcohol could explain his behavior. To know he thought this way without being under the influence was something Katara would rather not think about.

This whole thing could totally backfire if he overpowered her or worse — forced himself on her. But this was the best option she could come up with. Katara needed to do this to spare her life. Who knew what he was capable of if he couldn't have her? Actually after seeing that knife, she had a pretty good idea.

He knelt down in front of her, running his hands up her legs and resting them on her hips. His fingers were inches away from her tied hands resting behind her back and his face was even closer.

Katara fought against the urge to turn away from the sour breath that hit her nostrils. Could she really do this? She took a deep breath. She had to escape. This was the most effective way she could think of.

She closed her eyes, leaned forward and forcefully pressed her lips to his. He responded in kind, jamming his tongue against hers like a wild animal. Katara felt as if she might gag but tried her best to give the appearance he was arousing her.

"Jet, please...my hands," she breathed. She felt his hands slide off her her hips and to her wrists. Just a little more and he would release her. Then she could make her move.

"You want me to untie you? What are you going to do to me if I do?"

"Whatever you want," she said, gasping dramatically.

She hoped this was working. After one particularly long kiss, Jet pulled back suddenly, his eyes narrowing and his expression darkening.

"Nice try, Katara. How stupid do you think I am?" He shoved her back against the couch and stood back up again.

"Jet…" Katara said at a loss for words. What the hell had happened?

"Quit the games. I know you were going to see him today when I got you. Now you expect me to believe you're suddenly ready to be with me again?"

Katara didn't speak but just glared silently at him.

"It's going to take some time for me to trust you again, but we'll get there."

At that moment, a familiar ring tone started to play. The sound came from his pants pocket. Of course; he had her phone!

"Ah, another call. You're very popular tonight, aren't you?"

Jet glanced at her phone, preparing to slip it back in his pocket, when his eyebrows rose.

"Hmm...I think I need to take this one. Gimme a sec," he said. He deftly slid the gag back over her mouth and retreated to the next room. She could hear him talking but couldn't make out any of the words.

She fought back frustrated tears as she slid her wrists back and forth in an attempt to loosen the rope. Her plan had failed but maybe she could still make this work. Jet was no boy scout and the rope he'd used was thick, but not tied as securely as it could have been.

She continued to move her fingers, feverishly reaching for loose cord. She finally felt the knot loosen and nearly cried out in relief. At least now she could feel the hope of an escape returning.

Jet came storming back into the room then, raging wildly. Apparently his phone conversation hadn't gone the way he wanted it to.

"That bastard thinks he can just hang up on me like I'm worth nothing? Aargh!" He threw her phone across the room and it bounced behind a chair and out of view.

Dammit. How was she supposed to get that back now? She had hoped to grab it on her way out and use it to call her brother, but that probably wouldn't be an option. Katara had slowed the movement of her wrists so as not to alert Jet of her progress, but it no longer mattered.

The rope hung loosely from her hands and she was essentially able to freely move her arms. Still, she kept them firmly behind her back, not wanting to tip off her success to Jet. He was still pre-occupied with his anger toward the caller.

"I'll show him! He thinks he can swoop in and take what's mine? I don't care if he's some big shot composer...I'll take him out."

Katara froze. He was talking about Zuko. Zuko had been the caller.

Why had he called her? There was no reason for it considering the last time he had tried, she had ignored him.

It didn't matter. It had been his call that had distracted Jet long enough to give her time to loosen her binds. It was because of him she had a glimmer of hope.

_Thank you, Zuko. _

The intense feelings she had been repressing started to return stronger than ever, but she had to stay focused. His assist wouldn't help her at all if she didn't take advantage of the situation.

Jet had finally calmed down enough to stop grumbling and he came back over to Katara. He kneeled down in front of her.

"I hope that didn't scare you. I just care about you so much that I get angry. Don't worry, baby. I won't hurt you."

He removed her gag and leaned in to kiss her again as Katara masked her disbelief. One minute he was making out with her, the next he was pushing her away, and now he wanted her again? This guy was all over the place!

But, within his mood instability, Katara saw her opening. It was now or never.

She swung her newly freed arms out. She balled her hands into fists and slammed them on either side of Jet's head. He was momentarily stunned and Katara moved quickly. With the base of her right palm, she went upward and planted a blow in the center of his face. It connected with his nose and mouth. He howled in pain.

As he reared back, she braced her upper body with her arms then swung her still bound legs upward. Both feet connected solidly with his crotch. He doubled over, tears and blood streaming down his face. His body convulsed as if he were going to vomit but Katara didn't wait around to see it.

She threw her body forward and to the right. She eyed a sturdy looking lamp. Jet was still in a heap on the ground. She squirmed closer until her fingers grasped the hard metal base. Calling forth a familiar dance move, she gripped it and swung her arm while twisting her torso toward Jet. Her aim was right on. The lamp base landed on the side of Jet's skull.

Jet instantly lost consciousness and his writhing motions stilled. Blood poured from his nose and the fresh head wound. The knife she had seen him holding earlier had slid out of his belt loop and gleamed brightly from the ground. Katara snatched it up and quickly cut through the rope.

She was finally free.

Still, there was no time to celebrate or relax. She noted the darkness outside and frantically looked around the room for her coat. If she went outside as she was, she would have more to worry about than Jet coming after her again. She finally spotted it on a chair near the kitchen. She threw it on and took one quick glance around for her phone. It wasn't visible and she figured it was behind the couch. But it wasn't worth the risk.

Katara ran out of the front door and saw she was on a deserted street. There were only a handful of houses near this one. All of them appeared to be abandoned. She vaguely remembered the area but couldn't quite place it.

With the rush of adrenaline now gone, fatigue started setting in. Whatever had knocked her out before might finally be taking it's toll on her. But, she had to keep moving.

It was cold outside and she was thankful for the coat. She wrapped it tightly around herself as she ran along and listened for cars. She couldn't hear them and she kept going in the same direction. She could smell the dampness of wet earth around her from the recent rainfall. She prayed it wouldn't start coming down again while she was trying to make her way to safety.

As she trudged along, her thoughts wandered to Zuko. She still couldn't believe he had actually called her. Maybe he had found out she was coming to the show and wanted to meet up. No, that was ridiculous. There was no way he could have known she was coming. The only person she had told was Sokka. Even he wouldn't tell a secret like that. And as far as she knew, they hadn't talked since the night of their show.

She pictured the last time they had embraced. It was at his house after she had told him about her mother's death. He had wrapped his arm around her when they sat on the couch and she had instantly felt heat and warmth emanating from him.

She shivered as she contemplated the contrast between the comfort she felt sitting next to him and the discomfort she felt now as she wandered aimlessly through the cold night air.

What would he think when he found out what happened? He might think it was stupid of her not to take better measures to protect herself from Jet. He might want to fight Jet again. Or, he might never know. It's not as if she planned to call him and tell him that she had been kidnapped by her ex-boyfriend. That would be silly. It was better for him not to know.

And Sokka. Her eyes watered as she thought of him. By now, he had to have figured out something was wrong. Would he call the police or try to take matters into his own hands? She would be so relieved to see him and Suki again. She missed everyone so desperately right then.

But now wasn't the time to break down or give up. If she just kept going, she would have to encounter civilization at some point.

Her legs felt heavier and heavier with each step, as if they were weighed down by lead. Thankfully her body was her livelihood so she took good care of it. That allowed her to handle the physical toll better than the average person. Still, she was ill prepared to deal with the elements in this way and under this level of distress.

Her head had ceased it's incessant hammering and now had faded to a dull ache. Her eyes hurt, her arms, her legs...everything was raw with pain. She wondered what Jet had done to knock her out and how long she had been unconscious. She was grateful for the small miracle of him not taking advantage of her while she was out.

Then again, did any of that really matter? She just needed to get help. She thought she spotted lights dancing in front of her eyes from a distance but couldn't be sure. Was she just imagining things or feeling the effects of fatigue? For all she knew, she was becoming delirious.

It seemed like hours and her breath was coming in short gasps when she finally saw street lights and heard the noise of traffic. She instantly recognized where she was. There was a shopping center no more than five minutes from where she stood. Tears filled her eyes as she realized she might actually get out of this predicament alive.

She walked toward the main street and turned left, finally seeing the lights of the outdoor shopping mall. Thankfully, she spotted a security guard standing right at the corner of the mall entrance and began to call out weakly.

"Help! Help me!"

A few passers by noticed her yelling and saw her appearance, but they turned away. She couldn't blame them; she must have looked frightful. However, the security guard ran straight toward her and reached her just as she collapsed.

"Hold on, miss. Just stay calm."

He spoke into his radio and called to a nearby shop owner to dial 911. She wanted to close her eyes so badly and sleep again, but fought to stay conscious. She had to make sure she could get back to her brother. And back to Zuko.

Another uniformed guard joined the one holding her and asked, "Miss, what's your name?"

"Katara," she mumbled, barely able to form the words. She hadn't been this tired in ages.

She faintly heard a man's voice repeat her name and then another man said, "That's her! Call the sheriff and let them know we have one of the persons identified in the APB."

Had she heard that right? Was someone already searching for her? Thank God.

Finally, she heard sirens blaring. The vehicle stopped only feet away from where she was and she smiled faintly. She was going to be okay. Now, she just needed to rest.

Velcro snapped and she felt the weight of a collar being put around her neck. Katara couldn't make out any other sounds among the chatter. Just as she was being placed onto a gurney and rolled toward the back of the ambulance, she slipped back into unconsciousness.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Happy New Year! Here's to a safe and happy 2015 for all!**

** Everything's moving right along now and I'm excited about that. ****Thank you so much for reading and feel free to throw some feedback my way. :)**

**Also, I wanted to give a little shout out to some of my repeat reviewers. The fact that you are still coming back for more this far into the story and taking the time to voice your encouragement means a lot. So, thank you Lunachan90, Chaos-Rules-Me, Swimmy D, lawliness, jenna1023, kayleigh, and Plucie.**

**And...on with the show!**

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><p>Sokka screeched to a halt in front of Jet's condo.<p>

"This is the place. Let's see what we can find," Sokka said.

He and Zuko jumped out of the car and walked toward the front porch. Zuko noticed there were no lights on inside or outside. It looked like there was no one there and it seemed no one had been there for quite a while.

Sokka used his cell phone light to peer around the dead shrubbery surrounding the walkway while Zuko looked around. He thought he had heard some sounds from inside but couldn't be sure.

Just then Zuko noticed a shadow pass over the front window. Could it be someone hiding out inside of the house?

"Sokka!" he whispered harshly and Sokka wheeled around, inadvertently blinding him with his light. Zuko held his arm across his face and Sokka shut the light off.

"Sorry. What's up?" he asked quietly and Zuko pointed to the window.

"I think I saw a shadow. I'm pretty sure someone's in there."

Sokka walked toward the front door and Zuko joined him, his body starting to course with adrenaline. If Katara was on the other side of that door, he wanted to be ready to get her any way he could.

After holding his ear to the door for several moments, Sokka banged on it.

"Jet? Are you there? Open up!" He called and Zuko groaned. The element of surprise could have helped them out here but Sokka had already ruined that plan before it was even developed.

"Sokka?" a muffled voice said on the other side of the door and Sokka shot a questioning glance at Zuko.

"That's definitely not Jet…"Sokka mused.

They stood stiff at the sound of the lock turning as the door opened. A tall man with a bat clutched in one hand stood on the other side of the screen door.

Sokka threw his hands up in recognition.

"Duke! What are you doing here creeping around in the dark with that bat?" Sokka asked.

Duke flipped the porch light on so that everyone could see more clearly. He was tall with sandy brown hair and green eyes. He wore sweat pants and a t-shirt and had the bleary-eyed expression of someone who had been awakened out of sleep. He lowered the bat, a wary look on his face, as he peered at Zuko.

"I live here. What are you doing sneaking around outside in the dark? It's after midnight! And who's this guy?"

"This is my friend, Zuko. You live here now? I thought this was Jet's place?"

Duke nodded, a serious expression on his face as he continued to eye Zuko and opened the screen door. Zuko matched his gaze but couldn't help feeling as if the guy already knew of him somehow.

"He and I are roommates now. Zuko...you're that guy he's been talking about lately." He sighed heavily and ran a hand through his disheveled hair. "If you guys are here, it can't be good."

Sokka nodded grimly.

"Katara's missing and it looks like Jet's the one who took her."

Duke shook his head. "Dammit...I can't believe he went this far." He ushered the two men inside, closing the door behind them. Zuko stood tensely by the door. He wasn't about to get comfortable here because they needed to get moving.

"What do you know? Where's Katara?! We need answers now!" he demanded

"Look I only helped him when he wanted to see her at that banquet or whatever. I didn't know how obsessed he was!" Duke crossed his arms in exasperation.

Sokka placed a hand on Zuko's arm. "Take it down a notch, man. Duke's cool. He's a buddy of Jet's, but he'll help us out. Just have a seat," Sokka instructed.

The three men sat down on the couches, but Zuko didn't trust Duke as far as he could throw him. If he was a friend of Jet's, he couldn't have been that great of a person. Duke had set the bat down and rubbed his eyes as he peered at the clock.

"Jet never came home. What in the hell was he thinking?" he asked, mostly to himself.

"What's going on? You recognized Zuko's name. Whatever you can tell us would be really helpful." Sokka asked.

Duke nodded. "Jet's been really off the rails lately. He sobered up but his focus has increased since he's been off the bottle. He's obsessed with your sister and I don't know what has him so riled up about her lately."

He shot a glance at Zuko.

"And he really wants to get his hands on you. He definitely wasn't happy with you punching him at that party even though he deserved it. But more so, he's mad that she's not interested in him anymore."

Zuko rolled his eyes. Jet was no match for him and he had no problem proving that again. However, sitting there listening to Duke ramble on was sapping him of the little patience he had left. He was feeling more and more desperate to find Katara.

"Duke, why didn't you contact us and warn us somehow? Katara's been missing since this afternoon." Sokka questioned and Zuko found himself wondering the same thing.

Duke shook his head.

"I didn't have a way to reach you and I honestly didn't think he was going to do anything like this. I know he wanted to try to talk to her again when he wasn't drunk and when she was by herself. He has a restraining order and I thought he might try to write her or something. Part of me hoped he'd leave her alone altogether but clearly he didn't."

"You said he's been obsessed with her. What's he been up to lately?" Sokka asked.

"A month or so ago I called him and he wouldn't tell me what he was doing but I was sure he was watching Katara again. He had started observing her on her daily commute."

Zuko clenched his fist in frustration. He was finally starting to realize that this Duke guy wasn't exactly a bad person. But, he was definitely a complete moron. How could he live with Jet and have no idea that he was planning something like this? All of the clues and indications were there, yet he still hadn't been able to piece this together until after the fact. Zuko couldn't care less about Jet's motivations or past behaviors. It wasn't going to help them find Katara any sooner.

"As much as I'd love to sit here and figure out what the hell's going on in your friend's head, we need to get to Katara. So let's just go." Zuko got to his feet, hoping it would encourage Sokka to do the same.

Sokka ignored him and continued talking casually to Duke.

"Any idea where he could have taken her?"

"I wish I could give you something, but I really don't know where he could be. I've been telling him to back off and give it some time, but he wouldn't listen. Believe me, Sokka, if I had any idea he would do something like this, I would have tried to stop him somehow."

Sokka nodded as Zuko glanced impatiently around the living room. Since Duke was turning out to be no help at all, he was hoping to see something that would give him a clue to where Jet and Katara could be. Unfortunately, the place just looked like a normal bachelor pad to him.

"Are you sure there's no place you can think of that is private and secluded?" Sokka asked and Duke paused for a moment to think.

"I really can't, but do you guys want to look around in his room? I know it's wrong to go in there when he's gone but this is an emergency."

Zuko sighed in exasperation. There was no time for rooting around in Jet's personal belongings.

"We need to go!" he finally shouted and Sokka glared at him.

"We don't even know where we're going!" he insisted. Then he turned to Duke. "Yeah, let's check his room out really quick."

Zuko resigned himself to Sokka's plan, sighing heavily. Sokka did have a point and as much as he wanted to get out of this place, it wouldn't do any good if they had no idea where to look. Duke led them to Jet's room and the two men began to comb the area for any clues.

Zuko found a flyer for his show and Sokka found a calendar with times listed on it.

"Hey these are the times that Katara does her dance class at the studio. I wonder if these other times were when she rehearsed for her last show?" Sokka asked.

Zuko glanced at the calendar over his shoulder. "He must have been tracking her schedule."

"I think that's right," Duke said grimly. "He was spending a lot of time at the park and he never told me where or why but now it makes sense. The dance studio is near a park and he could probably see who went in and out."

Of course he was giving them quite a bit of information now that would have been helpful to have long ago. Idiot.

Zuko handed Sokka the flyer. "And he knew about my show so I'm sure he knew Katara was planning to go."

Sokka eyed the flyer and then flipped it over. An address was scrawled on the back.

"Duke, you know this address?" he asked. Duke read it and then slapped his forehead.

"Of course! How did I not think of it? I know exactly where he took her!" He ran out of the room and reappeared in seconds holding shoes and a coat.

"Come on, we need to hurry. Hopefully we're not too late."

Zuko clenched his fists and without another word, the three men ran out of the condo and jumped into Sokka's car. On the way to their destination, Duke explained that the address was to a house that he used to live in. To save some cash, he had decided to move back in with Jet three weeks ago and was still in the process of moving. He had given Jet his key because he was helping him.

Due to the rent increases, many of the neighbors had already moved out, and this was one of the many reasons Duke had decided to stop renting and leave as well. With basically no one living there it was the perfect spot for Jet to take Katara.

Zuko bit his tongue but couldn't help wondering why this abandoned house wasn't the first place that came to Duke's mind when he was asked where Jet could have gone. This guy couldn't think of a single place that was secluded and empty even though he just moved out of that exact kind of place less than a month ago? Come on. Duke clearly had poor judgment and an even worse memory.

When they arrived, the light in the living room was on and the front door was ajar. Sokka parked but didn't immediately make a move to exit the car. Zuko reached for his door handle but Sokka locked the doors and motioned for Zuko to wait. Zuko's eyes narrowed.

"Let's go in there! What are we sitting here for?" He was eager to get Katara to safety. He was tired of these two acting like they had all the time in the world while Katara waited, possibly hurt or in pain. He needed to get to her now!

Sokka held out his hand. "Wait! We need to call the cops first and then we need to be careful. I've got a tire iron in the trunk so I'll grab that and take the lead."

Zuko hurriedly called the police while Sokka grabbed his weapon. When he returned, everyone got out of the car and walked single file to the door. When they were at the door, Sokka motioned to Duke to call for Jet. Zuko fought the urge to simply throw open the door and pounce on Jet. If he had a gun or knife, Zuko could be risking his life.

"Jet? Hey, are you there? I just wanna talk." Duke called and Sokka gave him the thumbs up sign.

When no one replied, Sokka motioned for the guys to follow him in on his signal. After a brief pause, he pushed the door all the way open and peeked in from the side of the door frame. Zuko poked his head in as well and his mouth dropped open when he saw the scene.

Duke was the last to look and he said what everyone was thinking, "Oh, shit."

The living room was a mess. Boxes and loose items were strewn all over the floor. A lamp was on its side with blood staining its base. Pillows and debris littered the room. But the main thing they noticed was Jet's still form lying, battered and bloody, on the floor.

"Jet!" Duke called running straight to him. He checked his pulse and sighed in relief.

"He's not dead."

"Yet," Zuko said darkly and Sokka cast him a sarcastic eyeroll.

"You're not killing anyone, Zuko." Then he turned to go down the hall.

"Katara! Katara are you here? We're here to get you!" Zuko followed him down the hall and checked the other rooms but found no sign of her.

"She's gone," Sokka said and Zuko shook his head angrily. If they hadn't spent so much time chatting at Jet's condo, they could have gotten there earlier and possibly gotten to her before she ran away.

As Zuko glared around the room, he saw something thin and small sparkle in the light. Sokka followed his gaze as Zuko kneeled down to retrieve it off of the floor. It was Katara's necklace.

"Oh, man," Sokka breathed. "Katara was most definitely here."

Zuko clutched the piece of jewelry and immediately saw images of Katara touching the charm as it hung from her neck. This was the only connection he had to her right now and he planned to guard it with his life.

Just then they heard sirens approaching and lights flashing.

"Guys, we're not supposed to be in here," Sokka said. "These cops are gonna ream us."

Zuko carefully slid the necklace into his pants pocket and Sokka raised an eyebrow.

"Dude, what are you doing? Haven't you ever watched those detective shows? You can't just take things from a crime scene."

"This necklace is really important to Katara and if I leave it here, it will become evidence in this case. Who knows when she'll see it again? I'm taking it. "

Sokka sighed in exasperation. "Fine."

Just then the police burst in with paramedics in tow.

"Hey! What are you kids doing in here? This is a crime scene!"

"We know and we're sorry. We just wanted to make sure my sister wasn't in here somewhere," Sokka explained.

The officers were still upset. "It's dangerous to just walk in to a place without knowing what's going on. Not to mention, you're disturbing evidence. Now, wait outside and we'll tell you when we've secured the area."

Zuko, Sokka, and Duke retreated to the front lawn and Duke shook his head.

"She messed him up pretty bad. Looks like she took him down with the lamp. But it's obvious she got away."

Zuko felt a moment of pride at seeing the way Jet was worked over. Katara was definitely a fighter.

"Where could she have gone, though? What's near here? This place is a ghost town." Sokka observed.

"There's a grocery store about half a mile from here in that direction," Duke answered pointing. "But how do we know that's the way she headed?"

"We don't but we have to start somewhere," Sokka said desperately.

"Hey, you three! We need to ask you a few questions," one of the officers called.

Everyone headed back inside to be grilled by the officers about how they had found the house, what they saw when they came in, and how they knew Jet and Katara. They already had handcuffs put on Jet and the paramedics were cleaning and dressing his wounds for transport. He was still unconscious. Zuko wanted him to wake up so he could knock him out again.

Just as the paramedics were preparing to move him onto the gurney, Jet's eyes shot open and he began to thrash.

"Get off me! Get off!"

"Sir, calm down. You've been injured and we're going to take you to the hospital."

"Like hell you are!" Then he noticed Zuko standing there and he snapped.

"You asshole! I'll kill you for taking Katara away from me! You're a dead man!"

He was struggling to get to his feet but the handcuffs hindered him. He somehow managed to jump up and began to stumble wildly in Zuko's direction.

Zuko was more than ready. He didn't care if he had just been beaten into unconsciousness; he wanted to pound him into the ground again. He only got four steps into his path toward Jet when Sokka jumped in front of him, placing a hand firmly on his chest.

"Zuko, what the hell is wrong with you?! He's not worth it and we have to focus on getting Katara back, okay?"

"I can't take it anymore, Sokka! He keeps hurting her and I need to end this now!"

"I'll end _you_!" Jet retorted and this caused Zuko to surge toward him again.

This time Duke and another police officer had to help Sokka hold him back.

"Katara doesn't want you! And I will make sure you never see her again! You understand me? Never again!" Zuko shouted.

He had completely lost control at this point but he didn't care. He had put up with this guy long enough.

"Young man, I suggest you calm down or we'll have to restrain you." The police officer holding Zuko was attempting to de-escalate the situation.

Jet became irate at Zuko's words, hollering and stumbling forward. The officers and paramedics calmly held him back and then shoved him on the gurney. He kicked and screamed as they strapped him down. In a flash, he was wheeled out the door and toward the waiting ambulance.

"Oh, my God," Duke said, shaking his head in disbelief. Then he turned away and walked out the front door after them.

Then, Sokka wheeled around on Zuko, anger flashing in his eyes. "Zuko, you gotta keep it together! How are you going to see Katara if you're in a jail cell, huh? You want to be carted off in the backseat of a police car?!"

Sokka's words were breaking through the solid curtain of rage surrounding him and Zuko's racing heartbeat started to slow down. He had to keep his eye on the big picture, just like Uncle Iroh had told him. This wasn't about his vendetta against Jet. This was about making sure Katara was safe.

"You need to take five. I'll make sure we're good here and then we're going to the grocery store. We'll figure this out but you can't lose your head or it could mean Katara's life," Sokka continued.

That sobered Zuko right up and he nodded. "I'm sorry. It's just...frustrating."

Sokka clapped his hand on Zuko's shoulder. "Believe me, I get it. We're almost there...I can feel it."

"Yeah," Zuko said. Then, without another word, he headed out the front door.

He paced in front of the grassy area, thinking about how this whole situation had played out and the incident with Jet inside. He hadn't felt that kind of blind fury in many years and back then, it had been directed toward his father. He had felt a small version of it at the wrap party but this felt a hundred times worse and much harder to control. He had truly felt as if he could kill Jet.

_Maybe the apple doesn't fall far from the tree._

No, he wasn't at all like his father. He refused to accept that. Maybe there were some similarities, but he wasn't evil and looking to destroy people for selfish reasons. If anyone deserved to be hurt, it was Jet. What he'd already done to Katara alone was enough to warrant ass-kickings for life.

And that was what it came down to. Katara, the one person he cared for more than anyone else, was constantly being victimized by Jet. If it meant protecting her, Zuko wasn't totally sure what he was capable of.

"Zuko!" Sokka was running toward him frantically and Zuko's head snapped up in alarm. His stomach dropped at the look on Sokka's face and all he could think was that something bad must have happened to Katara.

When Sokka finally reached him, he was talking a mile a minute. "I just got a call from the hospital. Katara arrived there by ambulance about thirty minutes ago. Apparently she walked to that outdoor mall and found a security guard."

"Is she okay?" Zuko asked. Sokka threw his hands up in the air helplessly.

"I don't know! They won't tell me anything!" Sokka was starting to panic and Zuko could see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice.

"Let's go," he said turning and heading toward Sokka's car. There was no time to lose, especially since they had already wasted too much time already.

Zuko knew exactly where that mall was. She had headed in the opposite direction of the grocery store Duke mentioned earlier. It was even more risky because it was further away but he was just thankful that nothing else had happened to her while walking by herself at night. Sokka jogged after him, waving to Duke as he left.

"Thanks for your help, Duke. I really appreciate it."

He nodded, putting his hand up to acknowledge Sokka's comment, but didn't speak. He was clearly shaken by his friend's mental deterioration.

Then Sokka jumped into his car and started it up. No words passed between them as they made a beeline for the hospital. Zuko clutched the door handle with a death grip, preparing to jump out as soon as Sokka parked.

He was so close to her and he wasn't about to lose her again.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Hey, people! Next chapter on deck. **

**I've been wanting to post this one for you all for quite a while. And when I say that, I mean I've literally had this chapter written for months. It's been sitting around, waiting patiently on my computer (much like many of you wonderful readers have), and now it gets to see the light. So, I truly hope you enjoy it. **

**Don't hesitate to drop me a review. I love hearing from you! :)**

* * *

><p>Katara woke with a start and found herself on an examining table in a sterile room. What had happened? She sat up with a start, gasping for breath.<p>

"Katara, it's okay. Just stay calm."

She looked sharply to her right and saw Suki sitting there. Suddenly her memories flooded back. Jet had kidnapped her. She had fought him and escaped. And now she was in the hospital and safe. Katara's eyes immediately filled with tears.

"Suki!" She wrapped her arms around her friend's shoulders and Suki clutched her tightly. They both sobbed uncontrollably. Katara was overjoyed that she was seeing a familiar face.

When they finally parted, Suki hastily wiped away tears. Katara joined her.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm pretty tired. It's been a long day."

She knew she had just given the understatement of the century, but she couldn't come up with any other way to say it.

Suki searched her eyes carefully before she spoke.

"Sokka and Zuko are on their way right now. I'm sure they'll be here any minute."

Katara's eyes widened in shock. "Zuko's coming? How did he find out about what happened?"

Suki shrugged. "I have no idea. Sokka's just been texting me quick updates. I know they've been looking for you but that's it."

Zuko had teamed up with her brother to look for her. It sounded like the makings of a bad action film but she was relieved. Originally she didn't want him to know what had happened to her but now she was partially glad. She hadn't wanted these circumstances to be what reunited them, but she couldn't deny her anticipation.

"We were so worried and Sokka was a mess. I just can't believe Jet did all of this to you," Suki said in disbelief.

Katara shuddered slightly at the thought. She was starting to have flashbacks of the incident and it made her want to run away and hide.

"I'm just glad to be away from him. I don't even want to think about it right now."

"Of course you don't," Suki said, smiling sadly and squeezing her hand.

Just then a knock sounded at the door as a female doctor walked in.

"Katara, are you feeling any better?"

Katara nodded. "I'm still a little groggy but I'm okay."

Then the doctor turned to Suki. "I need to examine her and ask a few questions, so I'll have to ask you to leave. This should only take a few minutes." she said kindly and Suki nodded, getting to her feet. She hugged Katara once more and kissed her cheek before backing up.

"I'll be in the waiting area. Do you want me to send them back when they get here?"

"Yes, please. Thanks, Suki." her eyes watered as she smiled at her and Suki matched her expression.

As soon as Suki left, Katara turned her attention back to the doctor. She listened and answered the questions as best she could, but all she could think about was Zuko and how he was only minutes away.

~o0o~

Zuko and Sokka burst through the doors of the hospital. After getting the call about Katara, they had sped there as quickly as they could.

"Sokka!"

It was Suki. Sokka immediately made a beeline for his girlfriend. Zuko stood awkwardly off to the side and remained silent.

"Suki! Did you see her yet? How is she?"

She wrapped her arms around him tightly, trying to soothe him. "She's fine. I just left the room because the doctor needed to do an exam but we talked earlier. She looks pretty tired but she'll be fine. Everything's okay."

Sokka nodded as he rested his chin briefly on her shoulder. Suki spotted Zuko over Sokka's shoulder and smiled at him. He returned her gesture with a half smile.

"It's really good to see you again, Zuko. I know Katara will be glad to see you, too."

Zuko wasn't so sure about that but he humored her and nodded slightly. He had been a restless, tense ball of nerves all night. As soon as he had gotten an inkling that Katara might be alright, he had allowed himself to succumb to momentary relief.

"She's in exam room five and you can head back there. The doctor should be done now." Suki instructed. "I'll be waiting here when you guys are done." Suki planted a quick kiss on Sokka's lips and then placed her hand on his cheek. "Now go see about your sister."

"I love you so much," Sokka said, smiling tenderly at her. Then he turned and headed in the direction Suki had pointed.

Zuko hesitated, unsure of what to do. Suddenly the urgency he had felt only moments ago dissipated. There was no way she would want him anywhere within her space, especially now, right? Sokka was halfway down the hall when he realized Zuko wasn't following him.

"Hey! Let's go! What are you waiting for?" Sokka called impatiently.

"I should probably stay here with Suki. You go on in."

Sokka sighed, grabbing Zuko's arm, and dragged him along with him. "If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have known what happened to her. Look, I'll go in first if it makes you feel better. Just come on! "

Zuko relented and followed Sokka. They hovered outside the door. Hushed voices were talking.

As he glanced around at the nurses and patients wandering the halls, Zuko felt anxiety begin to surface. He hated hospitals. The antiseptic smell and bright lights didn't lend themselves to a comforting atmosphere. And every past experience he had while in a hospital was either negative, traumatizing, or both.

Sokka knocked and then stuck his head inside. Zuko heard her call out to her brother and his heart nearly stopped. Her voice still had an electric effect on his nervous system. Instantly, he felt lightheaded.

What would she think of him if he passed out right here in the hallway? Because that's what was about to happen if he didn't remember to breathe correctly. He heard the three voices talking back and forth for a few more moments, then the doctor exited the room. She gave Zuko a quick smile but then paused.

"Are you okay? You don't look well."

Zuko nodded, wiping his forehead with a clammy hand.

"I'm fine. Just a little tired." In truth, he was petrified and must have looked like he needed to be put in an exam room himself.

"Okay, well she's going to be fine so don't worry. But, if you get any more pale, I'm going to have to put you in triage." She seemed to be only partially joking and Zuko smiled weakly.

"Thanks. I'm good."

Zuko concentrated on keeping himself upright. This was not the time to be having a panic attack.

Just then Sokka walked out of the room and joined the two of them.

"So, Doc. We know she's okay but, what else can you tell us? I know you already went over all of this with Katara but I'd like to know, too."

The doctor opened her chart and eyed the information there. "The tests came back positive for Diazepam which is a sedative typically prescribed for insomnia."

"Do you think that's what was used to subdue her earlier?" Sokka asked and the doctor nodded.

"I can't say for sure but, if she wasn't taking the medication herself, then it seems likely. The usual dosage is 5 mg. We'll have to wait for the test results but more than that could render someone unconscious for anywhere from 4-6 hours. There's no way to know."

Zuko shook his head in disbelief as Sokka frowned.

"She definitely wasn't on any medication."

The doctor nodded and then continued. "The good news is that side effects should be minimal. She will be fatigued for at least the next three to four days. Make sure she gets plenty of rest and fluids but otherwise she should be fine."

"Thank you. Can she be released?" Sokka asked.

"Absolutely. I've already input everything into the system so if you just check with the nurse's station to confirm they have everything they need, they'll give you the okay to take her home."

The doctor placed a hand on Sokka's shoulder and squeezed.

"You're sister is one tough cookie. And also a very lucky girl."

Once the doctor had disappeared, Sokka turned to Zuko.

"Apparently the cops already talked to her and they took her complete statement about the kidnapping. They may need to talk to her again but they have everything they need for now."

Sokka pointed his thumb toward the door.

"Okay, I'm going to check with the nurse's station and make sure all the paperwork's done and she's cleared to leave. Get in there and stay with her, okay?"

Zuko swallowed loudly, his eyes widening.

"She wants to see me?"

Sokka nodded.

"Don't look so surprised. Just keep an eye on her until I get back." Sokka placed a hand on his shoulder as he passed him, lowering his voice slightly. "And don't screw this up again, get it?"

"Yeah. I get it." Zuko replied. "Thanks, man."

Sokka nodded and then disappeared down the long corridor.

Zuko placed a shaky hand on the doorknob. He couldn't believe he was this close to her after what felt like ages of separation.

All those nights he had spent imagining her far away, living her life, while he sat still and unable to move one step beyond the memory of their last kiss. Every dream where he found himself surrounded by her comforting touch, only to wake up cold and alone in the dark. All of his failed attempts to reach out to her and grasp on to some form of her essence. It all came down to this.

Finally, he mustered up the courage and pushed the door open.

As soon as he stepped inside the room, they locked eyes and Zuko couldn't suppress the relieved sigh that escaped his lips. She looked more breathtaking than he remembered. Even with her hair disheveled and dark circles under her eyes, she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.

He was overwhelmed, feeling drawn to reveal so much and bury his feelings all at once. The conflict was so palpable that he could only stand frozen before her, trapped in the endless pools that were her eyes. She was real and alive and perched mere feet away from him.

"Zuko," she said quietly, a small smile forming on her lips.

It was a frail replica compared to the one he had grown accustomed to. Still, it was more than he could ask for. How could she even form such an expression after everything she'd been through? She was simply amazing.

"Katara," he breathed.

In the blink of an eye, he was standing directly in front of her. His arms instinctively encircled her frame as his need to touch her superceded all rational thought. She immediately slid both arms around his torso and clung to him tightly. Her body felt solid in his arms yet fragile at the same time.

She shuddered involuntarily and he wrapped her up more firmly. Whether it was fear, exhaustion, or relief that was causing it, he didn't care. He just wanted to be the one to calm her.

"Are you okay?" he murmured and she nodded.

"I'm doing fine. It was rough but I'm glad I got away."

Zuko gently released her, placing his hands on her shoulders, and met her gaze once more.

"Katara, I'm so sorry about what I said before and—"

"Stop. It's okay. I shouldn't have pushed so hard—"

"But you were right because—"

"It just wasn't fair of me to—"

Their conversation was a mess of jumbled, overlapping statements. Their words finally came to a halt and they simply smiled at each other just as Sokka reappeared at the door.

"Guys, we're good to go. But, we need to figure out where to take you, Katara."

"What do you mean? I'm going home," she answered and both Sokka and Zuko shook their heads firmly.

"That's where he found you in the first place, remember? You're not going back there for at least a few days." Sokka insisted. After a moment, Katara nodded in agreement.

"Fine. I'll stay with you and Suki."

Sokka looked at her uncertainly and Katara bristled.

"What? You don't want me there either?!" Anger flashed in her eyes and Zuko suspected she could still inflict fear even in her weakened state.

"No, it's not that. I'm just worried because even though he's in police custody, Jet also knows where we live. He came over a lot when you guys were together. I don't want to risk it."

Katara sighed begrudgingly and Zuko's stomach tightened. There was one obvious solution, if she was willing.

"You could stay at my place," he suggested and the two siblings turned matching blue eyes on him. Their expressions were impossible to read and he ducked his head down in embarrassment. "Bad idea, right? Forget I said anything."

"No, it's a great idea!" Sokka replied excitedly. "It's the one place in this town that Jet has never been so it's the best place for her to lay low for a while."

Katara looked deeply into Zuko's eyes and he felt as if she was searching him.

"Are you sure? I don't want to intrude," she said, casting her gaze downward.

Zuko furrowed his eyebrows. The fact that she viewed herself as a nuisance to him was intolerable. "Of course you're not intruding, Katara. You know I have plenty of room and it's just me living there."

"Then it's settled." Sokka chimed in. "Katara, you're staying with Zuko."

Zuko looked at her and she glanced quickly at him before nervously shifting her gaze downward. They were both feeling the same waves of anxiety, but Zuko couldn't deny his own anticipation. Katara would be right near him, within his personal space, for the next few days at least. It was the actualization of his wildest dream.

"Thank you, Zuko," she said quietly and he nodded in acknowledgment.

"Alright. Let's get out of here. I'm going to bring the car to the front and you guys meet me there," Sokka said.

He walked over to Katara and smoothed her hair. It was a tender gesture and Zuko found it heartwarming.

"I'm glad you're okay, sis." He placed a quick kiss on her forehead and Katara closed her eyes, smiling faintly. It was clear she was in agreement with him. Then Sokka left the room.

Zuko turned to Katara as she eased herself off of the examination table. He watched her gingerly take a few steps, favoring her right leg. Automatically, he placed an arm around her waist to help support her as she walked. She relaxed within his hold and Zuko had never felt more content.

"You're in pain," he stated and she nodded.

"I'm just a little sore from when I was tied up."

Zuko felt the familiar heat as fresh anger threatened to rise up. How could anyone purposely inflict physical pain on her not once but twice? And why was he always showing up too late to protect her?

As they walked out of the room, he was keenly aware she had gone from standing mostly upright to leaning on him. His breathlessness returned as he felt the warmth of her body heat pressed against him.

"I'm sorry about this. I'm just feeling pretty out of it right now," Katara said sheepishly and Zuko shook his head.

"Don't apologize. After everything that's happened, you need to take it easy."

Katara chuckled lightly. "I suppose."

Finally they reached the hospital entrance and Sokka was parked in front as promised. Suki stood with him next to his car and the couple came over to Katara as soon as they reached the door.

"Sokka told me about the plan," she said quietly. "I think you staying with Zuko is exactly what you need right now."

A look passed between the two friends that made Zuko shift his eyes away uncomfortably and Sokka sigh loudly. A slight blush hit Katara's cheeks but she just nodded and maintained her position by his side.

"Okay, okay I know you two would rather have your 'girlie talk' right now but we need to go." Sokka tried to look authoritative as he folded his arms across his chest and glared sternly at Suki.

"We'll talk later," Suki said, giving Katara a quick hug.

Katara smiled slightly and nodded. "Okay." Then, Sokka chimed in.

"Great! Sweetie, I'll see you at home. Be careful." He narrowed his eyes at Suki toward the end of the statement and she nodded, smiling.

"I'll see you all later." She waved as she jumped into her car and then sped away.

Once Sokka, Zuko, and Katara were seated in the car, Sokka took off in the direction of Katara's apartment.

"I thought you said I couldn't go home," she quipped and Sokka cast her a sidelong glance.

"Hey, I'm a reasonable guy. You're not going to be home for a while but you still need to get some stuff to bring with you. And, I need to drop you both off so you can get Zuko's car."

Katara peered back at Zuko from the passenger seat and he was thankful it was dark enough to hide the blush that appeared on his cheeks.

"You were at my place today?"

"I, uh...came by after the show." Zuko ran a hand through his hair and gazed out the window at nothing. It was exhausting to shift between showing his feelings somewhat confidently and then retreating back into his shell. He would be glad when everything was out on the table.

"Oh, okay," was all Katara said but Zuko detected a curiosity in her voice. She also sounded a little pleased, but that could have been his imagination running away with him.

They arrived at Katara's apartment within fifteen minutes and this time when she got out, she seemed to have less of a limp as she walked. Zuko and Sokka hung back in the living room while she gathered items into an overnight bag.

"Okay, I'm ready," she said, eyeing the two men who were staring expectantly at her.

Sokka paused, then wrapped her up in a strong hug. Even though Zuko had built this own friendship with Sokka over the past few months, it was obvious Sokka was having a hard time entrusting his little sister to someone other than himself. It was especially true after all that had happened tonight.

Katara returned the hug while Sokka glanced over at Zuko.

"I'm trusting you to take good care of her." There was a pleading look in his eye and Zuko nodded firmly.

"I won't let anything happen to her. I promise." Zuko had responded so seriously that Katara looked over at him with an eyebrow raised. The intensity in his tone was evident and Sokka seemed satisfied with his response.

"Okay. I'll stop by tomorrow. Please get some rest tonight, Katara." Sokka locked eyes with her and she nodded.

"I will. Don't worry."

Sokka then gave her another quick squeeze and released her. He offered his hand to Zuko for a shake.

"Thanks for tonight, man. I seriously don't know how I could have done all of this without you."

Zuko returned the shake. "Same here. You get some rest yourself...it's been a long night."

Sokka nodded, smirking. With that, the three parted ways. Zuko ensured that Katara was safely in his passenger seat before jumping behind the wheel and starting the car. He looked over at her and she was already eyeing him nervously.

"You ready?" he asked simply and she produced one of the most genuine smiles he'd seen all night.

"Yeah."

His own smile broadened as he exited the parking lot and started the thirty minute drive to his house.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Phew! We've finally managed to get these two back in the same room. :) Now I believe it's time to throw a little fluffiness your way. **

**Again, thanks for all of the support and for your continued commitment to reading this story. I'm a happy camper!**

**Enjoy. :)**

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><p>Katara followed Zuko through the front door of his house and vividly remembered what happened the last time she had come there. It had been a rough night but she was thankful to be back here again.<p>

She had been flagging for the past hour. Getting some sleep would be the best way to help with her recovery. As soon as they entered the living room, she collapsed down onto the couch. She leaned her head back against the soft cushions and sighed deeply.

"Comfortable?" Zuko asked with a smirk and she smiled.

"Very."

"Well, I hope you weren't planning on staying there all night because I have a guest room down the hall you could stay in."

She nodded. "That sounds good."

"Let's get you settled and then how about something to eat? You must be starving." Zuko said.

Katara remembered that she hadn't eaten since that morning. "That would be great. Zuko, thank you for all of this." She couldn't help but feel like he was going out of his way for her.

"It's no problem. I want to help."

Katara blushed slightly and nodded. "I would get up and get it myself, but I'm so tired." She truly felt as if her body wouldn't respond to a command to stand up at that moment even if she gave it.

"Stay right there and relax. I've got it under control." With that, he disappeared.

Katara sat back and thought about the situation she was in. Never in her life had she imagined she would be faced with an ex-boyfriend so intent on being with her that he kidnapped her. She also never pictured herself staying with Zuko in his home.

Within ten minutes, Zuko reappeared with soup and salad for the both of them. This time he had apparently prepared the meal himself but had used his uncle's recipe. Katara inhaled the food as if she hadn't eaten in days. It was the best tasting soup she had ever eaten and Zuko seemed embarrassed but pleased by her compliment.

Once the food was cleared, she and Zuko stood. She was finally feeling a bit more energized.

"I think everything you need is in the room but let me know if there's anything you don't have."

"I will," Katara assured him.

She absently reached around her neck to clutch the necklace that was always there and found that her fingers grasped nothing. Her brows furrowed in concern as she felt around her neckline in disbelief. Her mother's chain was gone.

"Oh no," she breathed and Zuko, who had turned to head back into the kitchen, wheeled back around.

"What's wrong?" he asked in alarm and she looked at him with sadness and worry in her eyes.

"My mom's necklace...it's gone! I must have lost it when I escaped from Jet." She tried to replay that moment in her head but there was nothing she recalled that directly connected to her necklace disappearing.

"Oh! I forgot," Zuko said in reply and reached into his pants pocket. He pulled out her necklace and she gasped in shock.

"Zuko! How did you get that?" she asked, walking over to him. Her desperate expression had dissolved into gratitude.

"We finally tracked down Jet at that house just before we got the call about you being at the hospital. I spotted this on the floor and wanted to make sure it got back to you so I picked it up."

While he was talking, he had slipped it back around her neck. His hands brushed her skin and she felt a tingling sensation where his fingers touched. Then she turned around and gazed at him, her eyes misting over.

"I can't thank you enough for this. I thought I had lost it for good." Her voice wavered at the end of the statement and she made no attempt to hide it.

"I'm just happy I was able to return it to you," he replied. He smiled and Katara melted.

Without a word, she embraced him. She could tell he was caught off guard by her initiation of the contact but she didn't care. She had to show him how grateful she was. It only took a second for her to feel his arms wrap around her in response and he rested his chin on the top of her head.

Within his firm grasp, Katara was suddenly overrun with relief, happiness, sadness, fear...there were far too many feelings flowing through her to identify each one. She couldn't figure out if it was the entire hellish day finally catching up with her or the fact that she hadn't felt this safe with anyone in a long time. But, it was at that moment all of her pent up emotions broke free.

The sob rose in her chest and Katara knew she wouldn't be able to stop it. She gripped Zuko's shirt tightly and turned her head inward, burying her face in his torso. Tears flowed freely and her body convulsed as she wept. She was fairly certain she hadn't cried this hard since she was a child. Zuko's hold on her tightened and it was the exact show of strength from him she needed.

There were still innumerable questions swirling around in her head about their situation. The uncertainty about where they stood with each other was apparent but she refused to focus on that right then. All she knew was this man, who seemed to have caught her at a difficult time in her life, was consistently there for her.

Katara wasn't sure how much time passed but she eventually stood upright and gently pulled away from him. She released shuddering breaths as she attempted to wipe her tear-stained face.

"I'm sorry about that. I guess I've been needing to get that out for a while," she explained, sniffling.

"Feel any better?" Zuko asked quietly and she nodded, smiling slightly.

"I do."

Katara then looked directly into his gold-toned eyes and met his unwavering gaze. She could have grabbed him right then and brought him toward her, forcing their lips together. She wanted to, but it wasn't quite the right time. They still had things to discuss first. She was feeling exhausted from the day and the breakdown she'd just had, but she had to get this out.

"Zuko, we need to talk about what happened between us."

He nodded slightly. "I know."

"But first I have to clear something up." Katara paused to get her bearings, then pushed on.

"About a month and a half ago, I was at that new restaurant downtown. While I was there, I saw the woman from your photo and your assistant together. "

Zuko looked surprised, his eyebrow shifting upward.

"You saw Mai?

_So that was her name._

"Yeah. Your assistant gave her a bag that I assume was from you. Look, I know we've been apart for a while, so I understand if you—"

Before she could finish her thought, Zuko raised his hand up.

"Hold on. Before you go any further, I'm not back with her, if that's what you're thinking."

Katara swallowed loudly. Had she heard him right?

"You're not?"

"No. My assistant was doing me a favor. There were some extra things I found in storage that were Mai's and I was out of town working. I needed to get the stuff out of my place so he offered to bring it to her. I guess that was their meeting place."

Katara felt like a giant weight had been lifted off of her. Zuko had not returned to his ex. It was music to her ears. Maybe it was stupid of her to even consider that as a possibility but not much had made sense over the past few months. And she was too tired to think straight anyway.

Zuko cautiously smoothed a stray hair off her face.

"I know we have some things to sort out, but the only person I care about is you."

Katara heard her heart thumping loudly in her ears. His touch had that effect but this felt ten times stronger than normal. It was as if a jackhammer was banging away in her head.

"I care about you, too," she whispered.

The thumping was getting louder and she was starting to feel a little light headed. At first she had assumed it was Zuko's physical closeness and words that had caused this reaction but now she was starting to worry that it was more than that.

"Um, Zuko. I really want to continue this conversation but I think I need to lie down," she said.

She was having a hard time focusing her vision and her head was spinning. The doctor had said she would feel pretty tired later on but this was more intense than she expected. She reached out toward him to steady herself and ended up gripping tightly onto his arms.

"Woah, okay," Zuko said, holding her up more firmly. "Come on, let's get you in bed."

He led her to the guest room and then guided her to the bed. He then pulled back the cover so she could lower herself down and onto the pillow. She closed her eyes as soon as her head hit the soft cloth and she sighed in contentment. He brought the cover up and over her.

"How's that?" Zuko asked and Katara nodded.

"A lot better."

"Great. Get some sleep. We'll talk later."

Katara opened her eyes once more and looked into his. She couldn't believe her luck. Even after months of her acting like a child and being indecisive, he had waited for her.

"Goodnight, Katara."

"Goodnight."

She closed her eyes and let sleep overtake her, but not before she felt Zuko press a warm kiss to the back of her hand.

~o0o~

_It was dark...too dark. Katara struggled for breath as she attempted to move her arms and legs. No matter how hard she tried, she continued to lay motionless. She didn't feel any rope restricting her but for some reason her limbs were immovable._

_A light above her suddenly flipped on and Jet was standing above her. She shouted in spite of herself and he cast a menacing smile._

"_Jet, please, don't!" She was sobbing because she didn't see any humanity in his expression and she had no way out this time._

"_Katara, you betrayed me. I told you you're mine, but you refuse to listen." _

_Katara continued to struggle to free herself but she was trapped. Jet leaned in close to her and positioned himself above her. She cringed as she pictured what he might try to do to her. _

"_I can't let anyone else have you. And if you don't want to be with me, then I have to do this."_

_He pulled out a knife and pressed the pointed blade firmly against her midsection._

"_Jet, no! Stop!" _

_But it was too late. Before she could say anything else, she felt the cold steel being plunged into her abdomen._

_She screamed long and loud._

"Katara! Katara, wake up!"

Katara shot straight up in bed. She was disoriented and terrified but the amber eyes gazing at her in concern snapped her out of her confusion.

Zuko was clutching her arms and shouting her name.

"What happened?" she asked as he flipped on the bedside lamp.

"You were having a nightmare. I heard you crying out in your sleep."

Katara suddenly remembered the dream and trembled. Her clothes were damp from sweat and she was panting.

"It was him, wasn't it? Jet?"

Katara nodded and he shook his head.

"Dammit," he muttered. Then he looked back up at her. "Are you alright? Should we talk about this?"

Katara's initial reaction was to say 'no' because she just wanted to forget it had ever happened. But avoiding problems never seemed to work no matter how often she tried it.

"I-I think I'm okay. I don't really want to talk about it, but maybe I should," she said uncertainly.

"It's your call. I'm not so great at it myself, but I hear it's good to get these kinds of things out in the open. At least, that's what my uncle always says."

Katara nodded, a small smile coming to her lips. Whenever she finally met Zuko's uncle, she would give him the biggest hug she could. He had unknowingly helped her out in so many ways.

"Then, yes. Let's talk. I'm not going back to sleep anytime soon anyway."

"I'll get some tea started. We'll figure this out."

As he disappeared to start the tea, Katara decided to shower and quickly change into something dry. When she finished, she went into the living room and lowered herself down onto the couch. A fuzzy throw was draped nearby and she grabbed it. She cocooned herself within the blanket. It seemed odd that he would have such a soft and cozy item in his home, but she mused it was probably not his doing. She could certainly picture his uncle strongly encouraging him to get something for guests so that they would feel comfortable .

She preferred to have Zuko wrapped around her but this would have to do for now.

Within minutes, Zuko had reappeared with two steaming cups of tea and a teapot. They picked up their cups and Katara let the steam hit her face. The scent of the tea instantly calmed her and she closed her eyes, sighing. She took a couple of sips, enjoying the way the warm liquid coated her tongue and glided down her throat. Mint. This was another flavorful blend.

After a few moments, Katara set down her cup and hugged her knees to her chest. Zuko sat quietly next to her, continuing to sip his tea while gazing at her.

"I dreamed Jet stabbed me." She blurted out the statement and Zuko remained still, waiting patiently for her to continue.

"I don't know if he really would have done that to me when I was with him, but the dream seemed so real."

Zuko lowered his cup onto the table. He scooted more closely to her and she instantly felt his warmth. It was so calming and comforting that she leaned against him.

"I hate that you had to go through that."

He slid his hand onto her shoulder and rubbed gently with his thumb.

"I still can't believe all of it actually happened," she continued. "I don't remember the details but it just felt hopeless at first. And he seemed so sure about his decision. Like it made perfect sense to do what he did."

Katara saw the image of him holding the knife from her dream and she furrowed her eyebrows.

"Did he...hurt you at all?" Zuko asked carefully and Katara glanced over at him. His voice was strained and his expression was tense.

She quickly shook her head.

"No, but it felt like he wanted to keep me there forever. I don't know if he thought I would eventually wear down and agree to be with him or what."

Zuko paused as if deciding whether or not to ask his next question. Then he began to speak.

"We saw how roughed up he was when we got there. How did you get away?"

Katara looked into his eyes for a moment as a small smile played on her lips.

"Actually, it was you."

Zuko's eyebrows rose in shock.

"What?"

Katara nodded.

"Remember when you called my phone and he answered?"

"Yeah."

"Well, when he took that call, he left the room. That gave me time to loosen the rope he had around my hands. When he came back afterward, he was so mad that he didn't notice what was happening. When he got close enough, I attacked him."

"Wow," Zuko said looking off into space. "I had no idea."

"So, thank you for saving me."

They gazed intently into each others eyes as Katara turned toward him. A serious look came to Zuko's eyes and Katara felt a nervous energy enter the space between them.

After a few moments, Zuko broke the silence.

"I've missed you so much these past few months. And when I found out you were gone, I was...really scared."

Katara sat silently, her eyes locked onto his like a laser. She couldn't speak and could barely breathe. This time it wasn't fatigue.

"And now, I don't know if it's the right time, but I have to say this."

He caught her hands up in his and she knew he must have felt how clammy they were.

"Katara, I want to be with you. I know you felt like things moved too fast before and maybe they did. But we never know what will happen to us tomorrow. I was lucky enough to get back to you this time and I'm not going to let this opportunity pass me by again."

Katara felt giddy and her first attempt to respond proved futile. She swallowed and tried again...still nothing. Her nervousness had taken over. Zuko pressed on.

"It's okay if you want to wait. I will. I just need you to know that I'm ready now."

Katara shook her head, angry at her voice for betraying her at the worst possible moment. Then, she came up with a better way to communicate her response. Without hesitation, she leaned up and softly pressed her lips to his. She didn't have the energy to get as forceful as she would have liked, but instead tenderly placed her kisses alternately on his upper and lower lips.

He accepted her contact and matched her intensity, not forcing things to another level but maintaining the softness and tenderness she'd already established. Momentarily, they both pulled away from each other, smiling.

"I do want to be with you, Zuko," Katara said and he chuckled.

"Thanks for clearing that up."

She laughed lightly but then continued speaking.

"I know I was hesitant before and I had reasons I thought were very important for why we couldn't be together. But these last few months have shown me I don't need to be scared anymore. It's time I listened to my heart and I'm ready to do that with you."

Katara wasn't sure she had ever seen such a peaceful and serene expression on his face. It warmed her heart. She resumed her position resting against him and he took her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers. Just then, Katara felt her eyelids getting heavier. His presence next to her was lulling her to sleep.

"Do you want some more tea?" Zuko asked, and Katara shook her head.

"No, thank you."

"Need anything else to eat?"

She shook her head again. Her eyes were now closed. Fighting sleep was getting harder and harder.

"Then let's get you back in bed," Zuko suggested. His voice seemed to be coming from far away.

"I want to stay here," she mumbled as she snuggled into him. Everything familiar about him was exactly what she needed right then. The steady drum of his heartbeat, his even breathing, his warmth, and most of all his tantalizing scent. She didn't want to be far away from any of that.

"You sure? Wouldn't you be more comfortable in the bed?"

"No. Right here."

"Okay."

She felt him adjust into a reclining position and she shifted so that she was nestled under his arm with her head on his chest. The nightmare that she was sure would keep her awake felt like a distant memory with him nearby.

"Thank you," she murmured and she felt Zuko's arm slip around her. He squeezed her gently.

"Just rest."

And in the comfort of his strong arms, that's exactly what she did.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Hi, there! Welcome back to the story and thank you for continuing to read! :)**

**I might as well warn you now...we are nearing the home stretch. It looks like we have roughly 3 more chapters to go. I have to admit, I'm kind of sad to see this tale coming to a close. I've spent the last few months really diving into this story and I will miss it.**

**But, let's not get too sad yet because there's still more to tell! Enjoy and feel free to review!**

* * *

><p>Katara finished with her final pose and heard the familiar ending that Zuko played on the piano. Once he was done, he smiled at her and she grinned back.<p>

"I think that was a pretty good run through. We'll definitely be ready for the show," Katara said and Zuko nodded in agreement.

It had been three weeks since the kidnapping incident occurred and Katara was finally feeling back to her old self. She had ended up staying with Zuko for three days afterward and those were some of the best days of her life. Zuko had done an outstanding job taking care of her. He had waited on her hand and foot and even slept next to her when she was too scared to be alone.

Considering she had spent most of those days in and out of sleep, they had spent a lot of time in each other's personal space.

After she had returned to her apartment, he had stayed with her there a couple of days as well. She had to admit she was a little nervous to be back home, but he had been even more nervous and stayed with her mainly to appease his own concerns.

Katara's old worry about them being exclusive had been put to rest. They were still talking and learning about each other like they did before, except now they didn't have to be so secretive and awkward about showing their feelings.

Everyone seemed more relieved about their relationship than they were. Sokka had made a big show of acting like they had taken forever to start dating once they told him. Suki, on the other hand, had jumped up and down, hugging her fiercely. Katara had also had recent conversations with her dad and Aang over the phone and both had expressed excitement about the new development in her life.

As a result of the kidnapping, their rehearsing started a little later than planned, but they both found their parts came back to them naturally. It was as if there hadn't been any break since their last time performing together.

Zuko stood and joined her on the dance floor, pulling her from her thoughts. He slipped an arm around her waist and she looked at him in surprise.

"Are we done rehearsing?"

"Maybe. Do you want to go over it again? I was hoping we could get a head start on our date."

Katara grinned. She was excited about going to dinner and a show with Zuko. They had been invited by a fellow dancer and one of Zuko's former classmates was doing the music.

"You seem ready to go." She planted a quick kiss on his lips and then slipped her arms around his neck. He nodded sheepishly.

"I'm a little excited. This is the first time my colleagues will see us together." He blushed and this made Katara smile gently.

"Same here. If it will make you feel better, we can head out. I think we've done good work today."

Zuko smiled and turned to start gathering his things. After taking a shower, they were both finished and heading out the front door of the studio in less than an hour. Katara turned to lock the door and then they walked together to his car. Before they got too far from the building, Katara stopped, snapping her fingers.

"I forgot to set the alarm in the foyer! Let me run back inside and I'll take care of it. Wait here."

Katara had reached the door and grabbed the handle when she heard four loud pops. They sounded very close and she instinctively dropped to her knees and ducked. Fireworks? No. That didn't make sense in Winter. She heard the strangled cry behind her and whipped around.

Zuko was crouched on the ground, clutching his left leg.

"Zuko! Oh my God, what happened?" she cried out as she ran over to him. When she reached him, she saw a dark patch of blood spreading through his pants. It was coming from the front part of his thigh.

"You've been shot!" she shouted as she knelt down beside him. He was grimacing as his grip tightened on his leg. Then, he doubled over, groaning.

"Dammit!" he shouted. Through his own physical pain he looked desperately up at her, his eyes scanning her body. "Are you okay? Were you hit?"

"I'm fine! Just try to stay calm."

She immediately dialed 911 on her phone and explained the situation. Dispatch told her to expect an ambulance in five minutes. She was also told to attempt to stop the bleeding while they waited.

Katara nodded, immediately reaching for her bag. She found a towel inside and wrapped it as tightly as she could, pressing it against the wound. Zuko cried out in pain when she did this and tears immediately sprang to her eyes. She couldn't bear to see him like this.

"I know it hurts but I have to do this. Help is on the way," she said continuing to apply pressure to the wound.

She encouraged Zuko to lay on his back as they waited. Time seemed to trickle by slowly, but she knew help must be close by now. He was breathing shallowly and had released his grip on his leg, though his fists remained balled at his sides. He had closed his eyes but opened them slightly to peer at her.

"I'm sorry. This was my fault."

Confusion overtook her expression. "What are you talking about?"

Before he could respond, they heard sirens blaring. The emergency team had arrived. Within seconds, police officers and paramedics took over. An oxygen mask was placed over his face and an IV was administered. Zuko's vitals were taken while his wound was examined. They radioed the hospital about a gunshot wound and to have blood Type O negative ready on arrival.

Meanwhile the police came over to Katara. "Ma'am, what happened here?"

Katara swallowed around the lump in her throat. She kept nervously glancing toward Zuko who seemed barely conscious. She explained the details of what happened before, during, and after the shooting. She also answered a few more questions about why they were there.

When Katara looked up again, she noticed Zuko had been placed on a gurney and was being rolled into the ambulance.

"Wait, I'm going too!" she called. Then she turned to the officers questioning her.

"I need to ride with him there, so if it's okay, I'd like to go."

"That's fine. We'll have to ask you a few more questions and we'll need to question him as well. When we're done here, we'll meet you at the hospital."

Katara nodded and then sprinted to the ambulance. She slid in the back just before they slammed the doors shut. Then the vehicle took off in the direction of the hospital.

The two paramedics in the back gave Zuko more fluids and dressed his thigh with extra bandages as Katara sat near him, clutching his hand. He was shivering and Katara gently stroked his forehead. It felt slick with sweat.

"Is he okay? He's shaking and sweating."

"He's going into shock from the blood loss. He'll be okay once we get him stabilized. "

Katara nodded as Zuko continued to moan.

"It's okay, Zuko. I'm here." Katara assured him, continuing to maintain physical contact. He glanced at her, eyes full of pain, and squeezed her hand. She produced a small smile of encouragement and then kissed his hand.

The paramedics worked diligently on his wound to the point that the blood loss had stopped and his blood pressure was near normal.

As soon as the ambulance stopped at the emergency entrance of the hospital, the doors were thrown open and nurse assistants pulled his gurney out. They wheeled him inside and Katara followed quickly behind. The paramedics began spouting off information.

"24 year old male. Bullet wound to the left quadricep. Entrance and exit wounds visible but the femoral artery was not hit. Blood loss has been stopped and vitals are stable."

"Got it. We'll take him straight to the OR after X-rays."

Katara heard all of the information being conveyed but didn't take any of it in. All she knew was that she needed to stay as close to him as possible.

Once inside, Zuko's gurney was wheeled in the direction of the X-ray rooms. Katara went to follow but was halted by a nurse.

"I'm sorry but you can't go back there."

"But, I'm with him and I need to make sure everything's okay."

"He can't have anyone accompany him past this point. Please wait out here and we'll inform you when he's done."

Katara groaned in frustration but then took her seat in the waiting room. She took that moment to call Sokka who was just getting off work. As soon as she told him what happened, he insisted on coming right over.

Just as she was about to put her phone away and continue waiting, she remembered Ty Lee should know about what happened. She dialed her number and Ty Lee answered immediately.

"Katara? Everything okay?"

"No, it's not. We had an incident at the studio today."

Katara went on to explain what happened. When she was done, Ty Lee gasped in shock.

"Is he going to be okay?"

She felt her eyes start to water. "I don't know yet. He's getting X-rays and they wouldn't let me back there." She did her best to control her voice but she was on the brink of losing it all together.

"Okay. I'm heading to the studio just in case the officers need to talk to me. Just stay with him and let me know how he's doing."

Katara nodded, taking in a deep breath.

"Ty Lee, what are we going to do about the show?" Katara felt sick thinking about having to cancel their performance, especially when they were headlining and everyone had worked so hard to prepare.

"I don't want you to worry about that right now. Just focus on being there for Zuko and we'll deal with that if it becomes an issue."

"Okay. Call me if you need anything."

Ty Lee then hung up and Katara held her phone tightly in her hand. She realized she was shaking but didn't know what to do about it.

She sat nervously on the hard chair in the waiting room. Her mind kept wandering to Zuko's comment after he was shot. He had said it was his fault. What did that mean? Was this something to do with his past? It didn't make sense to her why he would assume that but she wanted to get to the bottom of it.

"Katara! "

She turned to see her brother enter the waiting area. He made a beeline for her and wrapped her up in a strong hug.

"Sokka, I'm so glad you're here."

She buried her head into his shoulder. Her fear rose up immediately as soon as she was in his arms.

"How is he?"

"I don't know! They wouldn't let me go with him for his x-rays! And now I have to wait out here while he's back there going through who knows what all alone!" Her voice rose at each word to the point that she was almost in hysterics by the time she got to the end.

"Okay, okay. Just stay calm. I'm sure he's fine." Sokka led her back to her seat in the waiting room and kept an arm firmly around her as they waited.

Katara suddenly remembered the show they were supposed to go to. She looked at her phone to see several text messages from her colleague. She quickly responded saying they had a medical emergency come up and wouldn't make it to the show. She would explain later but right now she had to focus on what was happening.

Within ten minutes a doctor walked into the area.

"Katara? Is there a Katara here?"

"Yes! I'm here!" She jumped up and nearly ran into the doctor with Sokka close behind. When the two reached him, the doctor glanced at his clipboard.

"You're waiting for Zuko, right?"

"Yes! Please tell me he's okay."

The doctor nodded. "He will be." He flipped through his chart and then paused.

"The X-ray showed bullet fragments in his thigh but the bullet passed cleanly through. It didn't hit bone and it didn't ricochet or hit other surrounding areas. He was very lucky things turned out this way."

Katara released the breath she didn't know she was holding and Sokka smiled.

"That's wonderful news. Can I see him now?"

"Unfortunately you'll have to wait a little longer. He's already being prepped for surgery and the procedure should start in about five to ten minutes."

Katara's mouth dropped open. "Surgery? What for? And why so quickly?"

"Even though things look pretty clean, we need to remove the bullet fragments and look around for any other concerns. Also, there's a risk of infection because a foreign object passed through some of the delicate tissue and muscle. The faster we get in and repair things, the better off he'll be."

Katara understood what the doctor was saying but also didn't look forward to having to spend more time away from Zuko.

"Are you going to be waiting here or going home?"

"I'll be here."

"Okay. As soon as he's done and in the recovery room, we'll let you know. You can see him then, okay?"

Katara nodded.

"Our surgery center is on the fifth floor. He'll be in room three."

Katara was in a daze. She felt Sokka's hand on her elbow, guiding her to the elevators, but she barely focused on what was happening. All she wanted was to see Zuko and know he was okay.

"How long do you think the surgery will be?" she heard herself asking her brother and he shook his head.

"Hopefully not too long. But we'll wait here as long as it takes."

They had finally made it to the fifth floor waiting area. Katara wasn't sure how much time had passed, but she was a complete ball of nerves. Sokka did his best to wait patiently with her and eventually called Suki, who was out of town visiting her family. She vaguely remembered Sokka handing her the phone and letting her talk, but the details of the conversation were lost on her. She hadn't felt so spaced out since her kidnapping.

The police showed up afterward and began asking her more questions. She was on autopilot as she answered, and wasn't even consciously processing their they finished questioning her, they walked away, saying they would meet with Zuko in his room after the surgery. She had Sokka check the time. Nearly three hours had passed.

Within moments of them leaving, she was pulled out of her haze by a voice over the loudspeaker.

"Code Omega, five, three! I repeat, Code Omega, five, three!"

Katara felt her chest seize up as she looked at her brother.

"Five, three? Do you think that's this floor and Zuko's room?" she choked out and Sokka just stared blankly back at her. She knew her anxiety was probably making her mind go there, but it still seemed fairly plausible to her.

"What the hell is a Code Omega?" was his response. Katara was wondering the same thing.

Then they noticed a couple of hospital staff rush down a restricted hallway. Katara wasn't sure if that was also related to her suspicions about Zuko but the timing was too impeccable.

"Something's happened, I know it," she moaned, rocking back and forth in her chair. She wanted so badly to get up and run to him, but the entrance to the hallway was a locked door with a 'Hospital Personnel Only' sign on it.

"We don't know that," Sokka said half-heartedly and Katara began to cry silently. A steady stream of tears flowed down her cheeks and she made no move to stop them. She felt frightened and numb at the same time and it was an unsettling combination. Sokka kept an arm around her but he too seemed preoccupied with the page and its implications.

The siblings sat that way for another forty minutes, with Sokka occasionally standing to pace, before a surgeon outfitted in scrubs walked out of the locked doorway toward them. Since they were the only ones in the waiting room, Katara knew it had to be about Zuko. She felt like she would pass out at any moment but made it slowly to her feet as he approached.

"Are you two here for Zuko?"

Katara nodded and Sokka spoke.

"Yes. Is he okay?"

The doctor nodded.

"He's stable now and the surgery was a success. We were able to remove the bullet fragments but he started hemorrhaging toward the end of the procedure. An artery began to bleed as soon as one of the fragments was removed."

Katara tightly gripped Sokka's arm to keep herself from falling down. She swallowed hard, trying to keep down the bile that rose in her stomach. That page had been for him after all. This was all too much.

"He was approaching critical blood loss but we were able to do a transfusion, control the blood flow, and close the wound. He's going to need a few extra days in the hospital but he'll be okay. He's in recovery now, if you would like to see him."

Katara simply nodded and allowed Sokka to lead her back to the recovery area. When they stepped into the room, there were several sections covered by curtains. The doctor pointed them to the one furthest on the left side and said he'd be there in a minute. When they walked up, the curtain was pulled open by the nurse.

Katara's vision blurred with tears but she could still make out Zuko's form. She blinked, adding fresh tears to her already damp cheeks, and he came into full view. He was propped up by pillows and his injured leg was elevated. The moment Zuko saw Katara, he reached toward her.

"Katara, please don't cry." His voice sounded weakened but still wonderful to her ears. Her tears fall even faster.

"Thank God you're okay," she choked out, coming toward him and taking his outstretched hand in hers. When she was close enough, she embraced him, kissing his forehead. He wrapped an arm around her.

"When they told us what happened during the surgery, I was terrified," she murmured.

"I know but it's okay now. I'm okay, I promise," he insisted, trying his best to soothe her. Listening to him talk and touching him was helping her calm down some, but she was still badly shaken by the events of the night.

Zuko finally seemed to notice Sokka was standing there and he turned to him.

"Sokka, you're here too," he stated and Sokka walked up to him.

"Yeah, man. How are you feeling?"

"I've been better, but I'm okay." He reached for a cup of water nearby and drank from it gratefully.

Just then the doctor appeared behind them. He smiled at Zuko and wrote notes on a clipboard as he spoke.

"You look pretty alert and that's good. Feeling okay?"

"Yeah," Zuko nodded.

"Great. So, everything is looking good now. We're going to go ahead and admit you so we can monitor the wound. I'm thinking it will be a couple days, but we'll see how you heal. Your room will be ready in a few minutes. Let us know if you need anything, okay?"

Zuko nodded. "Thank you," he said and the doctor nodded, giving him a thumbs up, before disappearing.

Katara lowered herself down in the chair next to him, continuing to firmly clutch his hand. Zuko leaned back in his bed sighing. Then he glanced at her. His eyes looked dull and tired and she frowned sympathetically.

"We missed our date," he said suddenly and Katara paused before bursting into a fit of laughter. Sokka and Zuko stared at her in shock and then Sokka's expression turned to concern.

"You okay?" he asked after a moment and she nodded, still chuckling. The laughter had come out of nowhere but apparently she had needed the tension release.

"After all of this, you're still concerned about our night out." She shook her head and Zuko smirked. Sokka rolled his eyes.

"It's been a long day. I think you've both finally lost it." She had no argument there.

Then she turned back to Zuko, a serious expression now on her face. She wasn't sure if this was the best time, but she needed to discuss this, if only to help Zuko not hold on to a lie.

"Hey, something's been bothering me since the shooting. You said it was your fault. Do you remember?"

Zuko's eyebrows drew together. "Yeah."

Sokka took the other seat near his bed and they both waited patiently for him to continue. Momentarily, he did.

"I'm pretty sure the guys who shot me were really after my dad."

"That's not your fault. That's your dad's fault," Katara clarified.

Sokka nodded. "Yeah. I mean, what the hell is your father into that would make someone shoot at_ you_?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know. And to be honest, I'm not sure of all the details myself, but I just know it's bad."

Zuko traced his finger along the lines of Katara's hand and then kissed her knuckles. "By being with me, you're putting yourself in danger. I don't like that, Katara."

"Where are you going with this?" Katara asked, raising an eyebrow. She didn't like his tone or his words.

"I think he's trying to give you an out," Sokka chimed in and Katara shot him a glance.

"An out?" She exclaimed, glaring between the two men impatiently.

Sokka continued his explanation with gusto.

"It's like the superhero movies. The hero tries to keep his identity a secret from the girl he likes. Then, things get too dangerous...maybe she even gets hurt. After that, he 'mysteriously' cuts off all contact with her. He usually comes up with some lame excuse like he doesn't have feelings for her anymore, even though it's so obvious he does. After she finds out the truth, she confronts him and he says he was just trying to protect her."

Katara just stared back at him in shock. She couldn't believe he was actually using this example to make a point.

"Have you not seen any of these movies before?" Sokka asked in surprise. "Anyway, Zuko's being a little more direct about it, but his reasoning is the same."

Zuko looked away, as if embarrassed, while Katara shook her head and threw her hands in the air. "I can't believe I'm hearing this right now!" She turned to face Zuko. "And if he's right, then it's even more ridiculous!"

Zuko interjected, "It's not exactly like that. It's true I'm worried about your safety, especially after tonight. By some miracle nothing happened to you, but you could have easily been the one lying here in this bed instead of me. Or worse."

He paused to take another sip of water.

"I'm not trying to break things off because I want to be with you, Katara. I just think we need to be aware of the threats and be very careful from now on. Unless you do think being with me is too dangerous…" he trailed off.

Katara narrowed her eyes. "No, way. You can't get rid of me that easily. I'm going to be right by your side no matter what."

"Ha! That's exactly what the girl always says! So you have seen those movies, then. " Sokka said excitedly, pointing at his sister.

Katara was about to reach over and hit him when two nurse assistants entered the area.

"Hello, folks. Zuko, we're here to transport you to your room. Ready?"

He nodded and they unlocked the wheels on his bed.

"He'll be in room 253. Just give us about ten minutes and you can go down and see him."

Katara kissed him, running her thumb along his hairline. At least this separation would be much shorter than the rest had been. "I'll see you soon."

Zuko nodded, squeezing her hand. Then he was rolled out the door. Sokka came to stand next to Katara and she took that opportunity to elbow him in the ribs.

"Ow! What was that for?!"

"That's for comparing my love life to a movie, you jerk! Now let's go and I better not hear anymore about these horrible romance plots!"

She stomped off toward the exit but heard her brother mutter, "It's not my fault if it's accurate…"

"I heard that!" she called without turning around.

Sokka sighed heavily as he rubbed his ribcage and followed her to the elevator.


End file.
